


Forever Part of Me

by ATC



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Central City, Central City Police Department, Cute, Detective Iris West, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Explicit Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Family, Family Dynamics, Fluff and Smut, Imagine your OTP, Jealous Barry, Light Angst, Long-Distance Relationship, OTP Feels, Original Character(s), POV Barry Allen, POV Iris West, POV Multiple, Protective Joe West, Resolved Sexual Tension, Romantic Friendship, Secrets, Sexual Tension, Teasing, barry allen works ccpd, no Flash, no metahumans, no speed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2018-07-10 16:44:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 60,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6996298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ATC/pseuds/ATC
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story will follow Barry and Iris trying to become friends-now-lovers. They will face challenges both from external and internal fronts. Will their relationship be strong as their friendship? Because let's face it, they've been lovers since the beginning...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Could Get Used To This

Chapter One: I Could Get Used To This

_“To those who have given up on love: I say, 'Trust life a little bit.'”_ Maya Angelou

**\--------**

 

"What are you doing here?" Iris asked with a trained frown trying not to cough up a storm. Barry dismissed her glare as he walked through the door, further entering her apartment.  
"I come bearing the necessities. Chicken noodle soup, Nyquil, cough drops, tissues and brownies if you behave." he smirked placing said bags onto the kitchen counter top. Barry rolled up his sleeves revealing his pale freckled skin. Iris closed the door with a sigh and cautiously walked towards the kitchen. She found herself seeking purchase against the frame, tugging at her sleeves. Barry began organizing the items before putting the chicken noodle soup in the microwave to warm up. He was in his element, taking care of her. After a few moments of silence, Barry looked up to lock eyes with her sad ones.  
"Iris." he said in that tone whenever he felt something was wrong with her. The microwave hummed in the background.  
"Today is not my day." Iris began. He immediately approached her.  
"What happened?" he asked peering down as they slowly retreated from the hug. Their height difference was always prominent when they were within close proximity. Barry stood at a sturdy 6'2'' while his Iris barely reached 5'5''. It was one of his favorite features about her. She was tough, ambitious, sweet, smart, and beautiful all at the same time. His best friend still looked beautiful even with sad, tear-stained eyes as she looked up at him.  
"Cameron broke off things today.” she stated simply.  
“Isn’t he out of town?” Barry asked with annoyance. How dare he break up with her from a different continent? He always had a bad feeling about that guy…  
“Yup, he's in Tokyo doing business for that stupid software. He said our relationship was one-sided. He just didn’t know how to break things. He wanted ‘more’. There was nothing I could say because I kind of felt the same, to be honest. I just feel so lost now you know.... Things between us were OK and I guess I had a feeling that things between us could be way better..." she trailed off looking while away rubbing her arms slowly.  
Barry was never really fond of Cameron but kept quiet to keep Iris happy. Although, he currently appreciated the guy for being honest with her even if he took the coward's way out.  
"So are you saying it was kind of a mutual breakup? Why were you crying so hard?" Barry asked with deep concern tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.  
"What if I never find that special love?" she whispers wiping newly formed tears. He quickly understood. He also went through a depressed state at never being able to find a woman as special as her. As much as it broke his heart to see Iris in such a depressed state, he was determined to make her feel better.  
"You will; I know you will. I promise it's probably closer than you think." he whispered giving her another tight hug. And with that, she cried a little more wiping her eyes with the back of his white, long sleeve shirt.  
"Hey!" he pretended with mock offense.  
"You can’t be mad at me. I just went through a breakup AND I'm going through a love crisis." she said playfully nudging his stomach.  
"True." he smiled while thinking he could forgive her for anything. The microwave beeped signaling the timer.  
"Soups ready." he said more to himself as he walked away from her.  
"You still wanna stick around with me?" she asked with surprise.  
"I always wanna stick around with you. Haven't I always?" he smirked back.  
"That you have." she nodded taking a fresh deep breath. She already looked better.  
"Go sit on the couch. I'll be there in a few." he ordered. She would have argued back, but was too sick and worn out at the moment. He smiled at himself as she walked away with attitude. Barry wanted to take things slow before he told her how he really felt. The truth was that the feelings he had for her went beyond friendship. Especially when she looked the way she did. She was wearing his university sweater, flimsy lilac short-shorts with white socks that only she could make look cute. She was all legs despite her height. Her brown skin was shiny with the lemon scented lotion she obsessively applied in fear of looking ashy. Her hair was in a messy bun showing off her delicate neckline. He put his focus back on the task at hand.  
***  
Iris could not believe how lucky she was that Barry was here to keep her distracted. Her heart always felt at peace around him. Of course, he was determined to take care of her physically and emotionally. He was always attentive about her needs despite the independent face she always had on. He knew her almost as much as she knew herself. That is what happens when you've been best friends your whole life, she thought to herself. However, Iris began to doubt that that was only a result of their strong friendship. The way she felt towards him was questionable under the realm of friendship. She side-eyed herself for compulsively finding and wearing Barry’s university sweater to comfort herself after the call from Cameron. He looked delicious tonight with dark jeans and a white long sleeve shirt. She noticed his hair was extra fluffy looking when he walked through the living room door. He was holding a tray that placed the steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup, Nyquil, water, and her favorite brownies. He took a seat next to her on the couch after carefully placing the tray onto the couch table.  
"You've outdone yourself Barr." she almost purred snuggling up to him.  
"I hope you still feel the same way after you take this medicine." he joked.  
"You're going straight for the Nyquil, huh? Lemme have the brownie first." she pleaded.  
"Iris," he warned because he knew she was going to get her way.  
"Please." she persisted with puppy dog eyes. It was exaggerated because of her red stain eyes and a broken heart. He was already leaning towards the brownie until she coughed and proceeded to sneeze twice.  
"You almost got me." he smiled her. The spoon containing the medicine made its way back towards her face. She gave him a nasty glare before swallowing the disgusting concoction. She motioned for the water to dampen the taste. Her gulps were audible in the room.  
"OK doctor, I've done what you've ordered now pamper me." she smiled snuggling back into him.  
"It's still really hot so get close." he warned about the soup. She didn't know if she could get any closer until he pulled her legs onto his lap with her head resting on his shoulder. She could definitely get used to this. He dipped a new spoon into the steaming soup and softly blew. She didn't think she could love him anymore. If only relationships could be as effortless as things were with Barry.

 

***

Barry’s eyes opened slightly landing on the DVR that displayed the time in glaring, green lights. It was 2:00 am. His nostrils were filled with a familiar scent. Lemon and vanilla: Iris. He smiled at the sight of her sprawled in his lap.  
His arms were wrapped around her lithe frame. He had fed her spoonfuls of soup as they watched reruns of her favorite TV show, House MD. They hadn’t moved from the couch. Right now, her breathing was labored matching his in up and down waves. He could get used to this. Barry was concerned about her posture and questioned if he should move to her the bedroom. What if it puts off the wrong message right after the breakup? He thought to himself for a moment. Iris began to squirm in his lap further motivating him that they should lay down. Not wanting to wake her up, he stood up with her in his arms. She unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck. “Barry...” she murmured in a voice he hadn't heard her use before. As he finally made it to her warm bedroom he deposited her onto the big bed. He never understood why she had a king size bed all to herself yet appreciated it now more than ever. She almost woke up when she noticed he was gone. He quickly made himself comfortable next to her and she snuggled up close to him, laying her leg over his stomach. He smirked at her sleepless state. “Goodnight Iris, I love you.” He whispered almost inaudibly. He was positive she didn't hear him but the way she hiked her leg up further his abdomen made him doubtful. She would know soon enough. He and Iris were meant to be.


	2. Lovebug Again

**Chapter Two: Lovebug Again**

  
_“Things can fall apart, or threaten to, for many reasons, and then there’s got to be a leap of faith. Ultimately, when you’re at the edge, you have to go forward or backward; if you go forward, you have to jump together.” Yo-Yo Ma_

 

 

*******

  
     She woke up from the best sleep she had had in a long while despite the stuffy nose. The combination of night-time Nyquil and Barry apparently was the best thing for a sick Iris. The sun rays danced into the room waking her up completely. She was alone in her bed and had the instinctive feeling that Barry was no longer in the apartment. Her stomach dropped with a heavy sigh. Maybe last night was a dream. Don’t get your hopes up again, she scolded herself. Iris suddenly had the overwhelming urge to escape the world and tried to will herself back to sleep for the next hour. As her messy hair made contact on top of the soft pillow, her eyes dropped to the bedside mahogany table. She blinked a few times before noticing there was a folded piece of paper tucked under the bottle of medicine. Her arm leaned over to grab the piece of paper. A wide grin couldn't help but make its way across her face upon noticing Barry’s tell-tale handwriting. She had always nagged him that if he only spent as much time on neat penmanship as he did with trying to be on time, he would never have any problems. Nevertheless, he couldn’t be helped. She tried to breathe through her nose but her body hated her. With dramatic breaths caused by the annoying cold, she read the note.

_Good Morning Iris,_

_I had some urgent business to take care of at the precinct. I hope you feel better this morning. I promise you will find that special, once in a lifetime love. Please take the medicine that I left on your bedside table. Take it when you wake up and before you go to bed tonight. Seeing you later so don’t try anything, I will notice your worsened symptoms. Get better._

_Love,_

_Barry._

     He really was the best human being she had ever met. He was caring, sexy, adorable yet stern, and most of all her best friend. Iris fully sat up drinking the first dose of the medicine. Better go brush my teeth and get ahead on my projects she thought to herself gagging at the taste. She had several deadline-news stories lined up for the coming week. The Sunday paper was released that morning which meant pitches for the longer features wouldn’t start until Tuesday. Because the courthouse was closed on Sundays she usually worked from home. Iris always planned on the weekdays to check the docket of cases being heard in the courthouse to see which ones might be interesting to cover. As a journalist, her thoughts were all over the place either confirming plans, making goals, figuring out titles, commuting time, or double checking facts. She preferred to start the day off peacefully before the city noise took a hold over her day.  
  
    The steam from the shower opened up her nasal passages. Iris knew it was only a temporary fix but smiled anyway. Her thoughts drifted back to Barry, as it always did. She imagined what it would be like if he was in there with her. He would tower over her, his soft skin fair. She hoped he would lick his lips in appreciation. She massaged the loofah over her chest to find her nipples particularly sensitive. They were hard like pebbles. It frightened her how natural she was transitioning to thinking of Barry sexually. _I haven’t yet told him how I feel. For Christ’s sake, I don’t even know if he likes me in that way! She had always secretly thought Barry was attractive._ After puberty, she had to try harder to hide her attractions. He never seemed to notice. They both casually dated other people during and after high school. Her phone started to ring as she stepped out of the shower. She quickly wrapped herself in a towel before running to retrieve the phone. The caller ID belonged to a good friend from Jitters, Linda. She smiled having not heard from her in ages since she had left the cafe to pursue journalism.

  
     “Hey, stranger!” Iris squealed.

  
     “Girl, hey! I was wondering if you would like to get some brunch today.” Linda asked through the phone.

  
     “I would love to. I just got out of the shower, so give me some time to get ready. Can we make a plan for 10AM at Morningside Cafe?” Iris asked already making plan changes in her head. She had an hour to get dressed and drive to the cafe.

  
     “Yeah, yeah that’s perfect. See you then!” her friend rejoiced. 

  
Iris hung up and began speed dressing not having the time to put on lotion as thoroughly as she wanted. At 9:27 AM she made her way out the door. A smug grin landed on her face at the thought that she had always beat Barry to the door.  
  
*******

        His day had started off urgently but things cooled down at the end. After visiting the crime scene, writing a few reports and spending some time in his lab, Barry’s mind wandered off to Iris as it usually did. He couldn't stop analyzing the events that had taken place the night before. They hadn’t been doing anything important, nothing special or spectacular or out of the ordinary. But, it was when he looked over and saw her silhouette across from him, that he realized he could love her the way she deserved. He needed to tell her and planned to do so that night. He remembered waking up aroused at the feel of her small body tucked around him. Her leg had possessively made its way back over his abdomen as her small feet laid against his morning wood. He was insanely fascinated with the transformation her nipples made as they hardened. Barry had come to realize they were incredibly sensitive to temperature. He wanted nothing more than to slip the tank top down her smooth shoulders to reveal her breasts. He fantasized about trailing his fingers to meet her center while attending to her nipples. Thoughts of pleasuring her had fogged up his brain. If they ever did date, he wondered if Iris would be able to handle his sexual appetite towards her. _Getting a little ahead of yourself there, Barry_ , he thought to himself. His plan was to sit her down and express his feelings. If he was lucky she would feel the same way, but this was more about him vocalizing the truth. She deserved to know how deep his feelings ran for her.

*******

       Iris hadn’t heard from him all day besides from the note. She spent the day writing prompts and making to-do lists. It was now half past eight. Brunch went very well with Linda and she invited her over for dinner.

  
      “Hey, are you OK?” Linda asked suspiciously. Iris had been on edge all day. After brunch, she had anticipated talking to him but he remained a ghost. It was insane how much power Barry’s presence in her life wielded over her emotions.

  
      “It’s just that I haven’t heard from Barry today, that’s all.” she smiled weakly.

  
      “The act is over. No one gets this upset from not hearing from their “best friend” in less than 24 hours. I saw the letter on your bed when I used the bathroom earlier. That guy is head over heels in love with you and I’ll be damned if you’re not as well. You two have been tiptoeing for way too long. You just got out of a mediocre relationship that lasted 3 years! Don’t you think it’s time to stop wasting time?” Linda side-eyed as she placed the wine glass down. Thank God her friend could spout tough love when needed. Iris was speechless for some time.

  
       “I….What if we date and things don’t work out? I never want to lose my friendship with him.” Iris lamented.

  
       “I don’t see that happening. And sure you guys will fight, you’re both so stubborn. But guess what? The relationship will be so rich and pure because you guys have such a deep connection. And I think with a love like that, it is definitely worth any risks or fears you have right now.” Linda proposed softly.

      Iris nodded her head and licked her lips caused by her nervous giddy. And she would. She would get her hopes up time and time again for Barry because he was her once in a lifetime.

                                                                                             *******

       It was around 11:00 pm when Barry heard a knock at his door. Nothing could have prepared him for Iris standing at his doorstep biting her bottom lip nervously.

  
“Can I come in?” she asked. He didn’t respond but let her in. He had a feeling it had something to do with Cameron.

        On his way to her apartment building earlier that night, he rehearsed what he would say to her. Upon his arrival, he was stopped by the security man who recognized him. The man directed Barry to the front desk.

     “Hello, sir. Unfortunately, we are short staffed at this hour. I see that you’re on your way to her room and I do recognize you. Would you mind delivering this to her when you get upstairs?” the woman at the desk asked politely. She had red hair and stressed filled eyes. Barry saw no reason to object.

  
      “Yeah, sure what is it?” his curiosity spiked. It was probably some online shopping orders.

  
      “She’s received some flowers from a special someone today. I would deliver it myself, but I’m handling various phone calls at the moment. You can let her know they are from Cameron Maxwell. Thanks again!” His heart sank so low he swore the woman took notice.

  
     “Oh, ok alright.” he tried to say casually, trying not to any create tension. The lady thanked him once more before giving him access to the elevator. Barry didn’t bother reading the note attached to the bouquet. His hands gripped the stems so tightly they burned. _Just my luck. I’m ready to tell her my feelings and they get back together_. He thought to himself as his blood boiled.

  
     Now, hours later, his anger had stewed and seeing her in person only made it worse. Besides, she should have been sleeping to get rid of the cold.

  
     “Did you have a rough day at work? I haven’t heard from you all day.” she asked worriedly.

  
   “I was busy this morning and let’s just say that my day did not end as planned. But congratulations.” he replied with no emotion.

  
   “Congratulations? What are you talking about?” She scrunched her eyebrows together and tipped her head to the side.

  
  “I was on my way to your place earlier. I saw the flowers from Cameron.” he uttered the name with distaste.

  
   “We didn’t get back together if that’s what you think.” she whispered. His eyes snapped to hers instantly.

  
   “Why are you here?” he asked impatiently growing tired of her playing with his emotions.

  
   “You’ve been acting pretty hot and cold today, so maybe I just should go.” she started backing away with a hurt face.

  
   “Wait, Iris. I’m sorry. Come back, just hear me out.” he pleaded grabbing her arm gently. She turned around with a hesitant attitude. They had a staredown for awhile until he sighed with exasperation. He detested when things got tense between them.

  
    “I’m in love with you, Iris, ok? You’re it for me and I’ve wanted to tell you since forever. The timing was never right. I was planning to tell you tonight but then I saw those flowers. I just got so jealous and I had to leave. You control so much of my emotions.” he admitted leaning the back of his head onto his left palm. There was a pause between them as the universe aligned.

  
    “You’re in love with me?” she asked with a heavy breath. She subconsciously took a step closer to him.  
He nodded his head slightly as she peered up at him.

  
    “Barry, I…” Her eyes were wide and she made several attempts to speak, but no words came out of her twitching lips. She shook her head in disbelief. He was not ready for the rejection.

  
    “I don’t know if I’m there yet... I have feelings for you too. I’ve always had, Barry. I just got out of a three-year relationship that meant nothing. I’m all over the place right now but I do feel that taking this step with you is what I need. What we _both_ need.” she said after some time. He stepped closer to her, their stomachs touching with her chest pressed against his.

    His hazel green eyes bore into her brown ones. Their lips eventually greeted each other and neither one could pinpoint who had made the first move. Their lips met like a brush of a cloud. His hands made their way around her waist pulling her even closer. The kiss started off gentle but the undeniable passion between them could not be tamed after having waited for what seemed like an eternity. Her hands wrapped around his neck to tug at his nape. They fit so perfectly as if they had been doing this for a lifetime. Maybe they had. And it was just finally materializing at this moment in time. Her lips parted and he deepened the connection. Suddenly her breasts grew heavy begging for his attention. As if reading her mind, he began trailing kisses starting from behind her ear. She gasped at the contact as he took note and proceeded down her neckline. Her eyes were filled with red hot passion. He could ask her anything and she would comply. All the pent up emotions from the day were flowing through their lips and hands. He suddenly broke contact with her neck resulting in her eyes fluttering open with panic. She tried to pull him down for another kiss but he resisted. Although she was standing a bit taller thanks to her thigh high boots, he bent down until his lips were close to her ears.

  
       “I’ve always needed you, especially right now.” he whispered hotly against her skin. She grasped his shirt in sexual frustration. He prompted her to jump before she wrapped her legs around his torso. His hands were placed firmly on her behind. He easily carried her weight over to his bedroom down the hallway. Iris reveled in the feeling of being momentarily taller than him as she leaned down to connect her lips with his. They finally made it to his bedroom where he deposited her onto the mattress. She slowly straddled his lap as he took a seat. She moved his hands to the buttons of her blouse. He didn’t need any further direction. With each button that was opened, her brown skin was revealed to him as she squirmed in anticipation. His Iris was a minx in the bedroom he thought to himself smugly. She tossed the blouse across the room once it was unbuttoned. Her eyes gave him a hungry stare. She was left in a lace bra that barely contained her rigid nipples. He licked his lips as his hands made their way to unfasten the bra. She opened her legs wider against his bottom half. As Barry had imagined, her breasts were perfect. Full and firm. They were just the right shape. The dark brown areolae was the perfect backdrop for the chestnut tips. Her nipples stood eagerly but she was desperate to take his shirt off. Their chests met skin to skin and he sighed in content. She purposely ground her sex against his causing him to exclaim her name as if it was a curse. She retreated backward placing her small hands atop his lean thighs, further offering her chest to him. He noticed there was a soft gleam to her eyes.

  
     “They’ve been hard like this all day.” she simply informed him with a subtle confidence. He smirked while grasping her hips. He loved how comfortable she was with her body. Her taut stomach stretched as she continued to bend her back teasingly.

  
     “They have?” he mused.

  
     “Yup. I think about you and they start to ache. Unfortunately, nothing I do seems to mend them, though.” she huffed dramatically.

  
    “Sounds painful. If only there was something I could do...” he said sarcastically. She pinched his knees in protest.

  
   “Ow.” he cried as his insanely long eyelashes squished together. Barry quickly recovered and his attention was drawn to her skirt that pooled around his lap. Before he knew it, his hand was down her skirt. She basked at the feel of his long fingers tracing her slit before they moved close to her sensitive opening. His thumb slid into her, and she was so wet it glided a few times before a second index finger joined.

   “You’re so wet. Is this all for me?” he growled.

  
    “Yes. Always.” she mewled nodding her head, her voice breaking as another finger joined the other two. Always persistent, she urged his head down to her aching breasts. His lips moved towards them. Finally, she gasped aloud to herself lifting her hips to meet his fingers. With her desperate whimpers, he began to massage her clit. His fingers worked soft and strong until she was merely a ball of shuddering muscles and shot nerves. His lips continued to make tender love to her breasts as his hand wrecked havoc on her sex. The sensations were all encompassing and she orgasmed for the second time.

    “Barry...” she moaned with sweet agony as his lips ever so slowly pulled away from her breasts leaving a visible trail of wetness. Iris was suddenly exhausted. The dying cold arrived to slap her back to reality. She tried to fight it, determined to get him off as well.

  
    “Shh,” he hushed her cries fully understanding that she was still fighting off a cold.

  
    “That’s enough activity for you today. You need to go to bed. We have all the time in the world now.” he promised before giving her another deep kiss. Her full lips fused with his passionately despite her pliant body. Sleep took over her body and the world grew dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank those of you who are liking and leaving such sweet comments. It honestly makes my day. This is all new to me and I'm trying my best to update as often as possible. I hope you continue to follow their story. And again, please don't hesitate to leave any comments down below.


	3. I Don't Blame You Much For Wanting To Be Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Iris continue to prosper together. However, Iris is presented with a possible new adventure. What could this mean for the new relationship?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long break. I'm honestly trying to pour as much detail and soul into each chapter. I am so thankful for those of you who commented on the previous chapter(s). I have a question for you guys. I would love to be more interactive with you so I was thinking that I could make a Tumblr account. I could post one-shots for this story and take requests. Tell me if that is something that would be cool. Anyways, enjoy this new chapter. Please give likes and comments and... maybe share? 
> 
> P.S. the past two chapters are lyrics from songs. Bonus points for anyone who can identify them!

Forever Part of Me

**Chapter 3:** I Don’t Blame You Much For Wanting To Be Free  

 

_“If we move too fast, we’ll break things. If we move too slow, we’ll miss things. And if we don’t move at all, we won’t see things for how beautiful they truly are.”_ r.m. drake

 

*******

   "You look incredible in that." Barry complimented from the warm mattress after he stirred awake. Iris stood at the front of his mirror across the room. He was a firm believer that beds, especially his bed, were the best the moment you woke up. “ _That’s why mornings are crue_ l,” he would always explain to Iris. She admired his nerdy and scientific mind. Yet she found his logic towards mornings to be the cutest thing ever. A shy smile found its way on Iris’s face at Barry’s first words to her that morning.

    “You’re finally up. And I wore this outfit last night, Barr.” she responded with a grin after finally slipping on her left shoe. The knee high boots were sexy but required much effort to put on. The added height made them worth it. Her clothes, on the other hand, were indeed wrinkly despite her attempts of smoothing them out. Barry’s electronic clock reflected 5:27 AM.

    “I couldn’t sleep after you left the bed. Uh, I’m sorry. I… err, _we_ were a little preoccupied last night.” Barry’s flustered laughed filled the bedroom as he brushed through his fluffy morning hair. He sensed something was off with Iris when she didn’t laugh or at least smile. Instead, she averted eye contact and looked for her purse.

      “I gotta get home, do my yoga, and be out the door to get early access to some courthouse files.” she whispered walking over to him. Iris couldn’t help but use her quiet voice when it was so early in the morning. It was as if she didn’t want to disrupt the city’s peaceful sleep with her voice. He found it unbearably cute.

      “I haven’t received any urgent calls yet, so I will be at work around nine to get started on my lab results.” he said trying to remember his schedule for the day. Barry’s mind then drifted off to Iris and yoga. He had only seen her in action a few times because she preferred to do it in complete solitude. From what Barry had caught, she was a pro at it. Iris insisted it was why she could walk in heels with so much balance and endurance. Barry had made up his mind that he was too long and uncoordinated to even try the physical activity.

    “Ooh, lucky you. Well... since you have some time to kill before then, do you wanna talk? I know how much you hate mornings so maybe during lunch…” her words drifted off nervously.

   “No, we can talk now. I have to pee though. Meet you in the kitchen?” he asked noticing her eagerness. Barry learned throughout the years that Iris was the type to prefer talking things through. Her degree in psychology made her particularly good at it too. He really did hate mornings but being around her, whether it be sleeping or talking, made them increasingly better.

  “Sounds perfect.” she said appreciating his flexibility. To Barry’s surprise, her lips slowly approached his. The kiss was simple, loving, and just them. Her long brown hair shielded them from the rest of the world. She eventually stood up and gave him the biggest smile which he was sure he mirrored as well.  

  


In the kitchen, Iris made the fastest breakfast option: cereal.

    “Good morning, I missed you.” he greeted as if they hadn’t just talked and kissed fifteen minutes ago.

    “I have to be honest with you Barr, it’s going to take some getting used to, you being vocal about your feelings towards me. I love it though so keep ‘em coming.” she said placing his bowl of cereal on the table top.

      “Well, I’ve had to hold my tongue for years but there’s no rush. I know this is all new for the both of us. Last night was awesome but pretty intense, how do you feel about it?” he asked trying to make sure they were on the same page.

     “I agree. I do not feel like we are rushing. You know? I feel like we are catching up. I have no regrets about last night because I trust you Barry, probably more than anyone else. And… I hope we can find the time to do that more often. I honestly haven’t felt like myself for quite some time and now…. already, things just seem right.” she confessed looking up at him with warm eyes.

     “I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. I’ve only ever wanted to see you happy. I always thought that telling you how I felt would ruin our friendship. I didn’t want to ruin one of the most secure things in your life, us.” he started. Barry took her small hands into his and gently caressed them. Her face saddened at what he said. It was true. The only stable things in her life proved to be her dad and Barry once her mother left. The same could be said about him after his mother was killed. She smiled, though, at Barry’s insightfulness. They really were the only ones who completely understood each other.

      “... And if keeping quiet for all those years meant I could be in this moment with you right now, then I would do it all over again.” he promised before pressing soft kisses to her knuckles. She inhaled at the contact. Would the electricity between them always be so palpable? How could she have been blind to this for so long?

    “I don’t know what to say, Barry. You’re so good at this stuff.” she admitted nearing closer.

    “Well, I _have_ loved you longer.” he proposed as if it were a fact.

    “Hey! That’s mean. I’m here now and that’s all that matters.” she replied with fake irritation. He smiled down at her.

    “Whatever makes you sleep at night.” he said jokingly, eyes brighter than ever. She motioned to give him a good whack to the chest that he saw from a mile away. Instead, he grasped her hands tighter, pressing them to his chest before leaning down to kiss her. She tried resisting the kiss but was quickly learning that, when it came to Barry, her attempts were futile. At the first touch of his soft, yet firm mouth, Iris melted. That was the best adjective for her reaction. Barry noticed her body growing limp. When he licked against the seam of her lips, she parted them, moaning as his tongue slipped inside. Unsurprisingly, she got lost in his unique taste. He pulled away slowly, though, and she moved with him, needing more.

    “Barry, I swear.” she threatened softly between them. He leaned forward again and caught her bottom lip between his teeth.

     “I love your lips, they are so full and plump, but I think the bottom one is my favorite.” he said completely ignoring her threats. Her body felt like it was on fire. A fire he could simultaneously cause yet tame.  

She grasped the back of his neck to bring his lips down to hers. This time she controlled the pace. _I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve too, Barry_. She heard him bite back a moan at her touch. The mere seconds of kissing had seemed like forever because it had just felt so. damn. good.

      “Mmm… My yoga mat is calling my name. It senses all the tension here with you.” she mused breaking contact. Her hands traveled down his expansive torso stopping at the waistband of his pajama pants. He opened his eyes softly and slowly, unknowingly showing off his long lashes.

      “Can I come see you during lunch later, even though we’ve already talked.” he asked with puppy dog eyes.

     “I would love that. Just text me.” she said wrapping her purse around her frame. Barry slowly nodded as if he were in a trance. He was still hazed by the heady combination of general early morning agony and the trails of fire on his lips. With their hands still entangled, Iris continued to leave as he followed closely behind; the couple further abandoned the untouched bowls of cereal. He lightly tugged at her hand before she could walk out the door. A sense of deja vu from the events that had happened only just the night before filled their minds. He had been furious about the delivered flowers from Cameron and had been passive aggressive towards her. Eventually, one thing had led to another and here they were in the present moment. Happier than ever.

      “Miss you already. I love you, Iris.” he murmured turning her around, totally challenging the time frame of the average goodbye kiss.

  


*******  
  
---  
  
After visiting the courthouse and checking up on new leads, Iris finally had a moment to sit down at her desk. She was finally feeling like her old, healthy self. The cold was officially gone. It was now half past ten as she opened up her notes and began typing vigorously. The current story was a female high school student that had passed due to a heroin overdose. Iris could not believe that such young kids in her city were dying at the hands of drugs. Moments like this made her appreciate Joe’s strict parenting and the absence of her drug addicted mother. As much as Iris liked to keep an objective perspective when it came to her work, sometimes she could not help but get attached to the personal lives and stories. Today, for instance, she visited the courtroom of the family as they tried to sue the possible drug dealer. As much as the law tried to be unbiased and unemotional, the amount of heartache and loss in that room rivaled a funeral. Iris decided to check up on her email after a few hours of intense typing and some moments of self-reflection.

        “Would you like some coffee?” Daniel Greg asked coming out of nowhere. Daniel was a new addition to the CCPN. Iris didn’t know much about him and tried to keep it that way.

       “You scared me there, Daniel,” she cried. “I’m good, thanks.”

      “Sorry about that. Hey! Is that an email from the Bangkok Post?” he pried with interest. She really had to hold herself back from rolling her eyes. The laptops at Central City Picture News were huge which meant no privacy. Also, journalists were some of the most nosey people. It was just a part of their nature.

    “Yup, it appears so.” she restated with a tone that should have indicated he leave her alone. He didn’t catch on though so she was forced to open the email under his scrutiny.

  
  


_Hello Ms. West,_

  


_Congratulations! Good writing and reporting skills transcend borders and time zones. Opportunities abound for young journalists who are interested in putting their skills to use in countries where there is a need for quality journalism. We’ve received your application and truly value reporters like you that are versatile, tech-savvy, and most importantly adventurous. The next step is a Skype call with one of our administrative coordinators which will further detail dates and locations. Please respond promptly with your online contact information._

  


_Sincerely,_

_The Bangkok Post._

  
  


    “Look at you! Are you excited to be leaving us?” Daniel asked. His intrusive voice became background noise as she finished reading the letter. This was quite possibly happening at the worst time ever. Leaving? Now?

    “I’m excited, but I have a lot to think about. Alone.” she concluded with harsh finality. He finally sensed her vibes and left. She read the email again. The excitement at a possible adventure bubbled in her veins. She applied to many oversea posts during the course of the past year. However, the journalism career was brutally competitive. Iris had always believed that people in Central City tended to stay in their hometown. Now a small, open window had presented itself to help her branch out. Except Barry was on the other side of that window. Would he understand? Did she even want to leave anymore? Only one person, besides Barry, could help her.

     “Dad, are you free to talk?” she asked Joe over the phone in the CCPN back room.

     “I got a few minutes yeah.” he said. She could hear him flipping through some papers.

    “Alright,” she said sighing.

    “Iris.. is everything OK?” he asked. She could clearly imagine the worry on his face.

     “I’m not sure, actually. I just got an acceptance email from The Bangkok Post. They have chosen me to fly overseas as a reporting intern.” her voice sounded at war between excitement and sadness.

    “Congratulations, baby girl! I didn’t even know you were looking for new journalistic opportunities.” he admitted and he was right, she felt right at home at CCPN. But too much comfort suffocated Iris. She craved freedom.

    “Yeah… I’ve been pretty hush-hush about this all because I didn’t know if I would get a response. I’m so excited.” she tried to assure him.

   “Was this a heads up call or an advice call. I feel like it’s the latter.”

   “Why do you ask?”

   “Because I happen to know my daughter and you sound like you’re holding something back.” he explained bluntly.

    “I _am_ excited. It’s just that I’ve made some… some decisions here in Central City that I’m not sure I’m ready to, or even want to, abandon just yet. Do I explore the unknown in Thailand or explore the decision I’ve made here?” she asked before taking another deep sigh. Her heart and mind anticipated his response.

    “Whatever decision you’ve made here in Central City will still be here for you when you come back home, that is, if you made the right one.” Joe tried to console his daughter. He had a strong feeling the decision had something to do with a special someone. Only love could prevent his Iris from fully jumping into a possible new adventure.

  


*******  
  
Hours later, Joe was still concerned about the phone call with his only daughter. If his judgment was correct, she had officially started dating Barry. Many things led him to this conclusion. For instance, Barry arrived _on time_ this morning with the biggest smile on his face. Just the day before, he had been anxious and left work a little on edge. And the day before that, Iris and Cameron broke up. Iris seemed less than distraught about the breakup plus she did not have much to say about it after the fact. Now, all of a sudden she made a decision here in Central City that she wasn’t ready to leave yet? Hmm... Barry’s behavior could only be caused by Iris. Despite feeling like he was out of the loop, Joe had been waiting for this moment for what had seemed like forever. Those two lovebirds belonged together and no one knew that better than him.

     “You’re leaving for lunch already?” Joe asked walking into Barry’s office lab.

     “Yup. I didn’t have breakfast this morning so I’m starved.” he said adjusting his tan jacket after putting it on.

     “Definitely don’t want you starved. But I gotta tell you something about Iris.” Barry stopped his fidgeting immediately.

   “What’s wrong?” his brows furrowed in worry.

   “It’s actually good news, she might be flying to Thailand as a reporting intern.” Joe informed him.

    “How.. how long will she be overseas?” he asked.

    “She’s looking at at least six months. Right now, though, she’s a little hesitant so I’m not sure if she is going to do it.” Joe said with a stunned tone.

     “Hmm. That’s... wow. I’m actually about to see her for lunch. She’s on a tight schedule so I gotta head out now.” Barry was not able to hide his sadness. Joe’s suspicions were indeed correct. If Barry did not know by now it was because Iris did not want him to know yet. _They’re going to have to get better at communication_ , Joe thought. He understood that the couple would tell him about their relationship when they were ready.

*******

The hustle of CCPN was nothing short of a surprise to Barry as he walked inside looking for his special someone. Because of his height, he found her rather quickly talking to a few colleagues. He noticed that her outfit had changed from earlier that morning. She was wearing a tight gray cotton dress, a suede blazer layered on top with her signature black heels. Her brown hair was shaped into perfect thick curls. Barry’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. She really was absolutely stunning no matter what time of the day. He stared for a few seconds trying to grip with the fact that she would be leaving him in the near future. Finally approaching the group, he wrapped his left arm around her toned waist as her lemon and vanilla scent pleasantly infused his nostrils. He gave one small nod of acknowledgment towards the other two journalists.

      “Hey, babe.” he whispered to her. After a moment of brief shock, Iris relaxed into his body once she recognized his touch. He leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek that she willingly accepted.

     “Hey, Barr. You ready?” she asked smiling so wide. He slowly dropped his arm from around Iris’s waist to interlace his long fingers with hers. The other journalists failed in trying to hide their confusion. Neither Iris nor Barry cared to explain.

     “I’m out for lunch. I’ll be back soon to help with the edits, Daniel.” she promised the blonde man. Barry internally decided not to bring up the overseas job at the moment. It was probably best for later tonight when they would have more alone time. Unless, she brought it up now.

     “You hungry?” he asked looking down at her. She tried to keep up with his long legs.

    “A little, yeah. Slow down.” she laughed.

    “Oh. Sorry, I’m just excited to have you all to myself for the next fifteen minutes.” he gushed.

    “Yeah, same here. This morning seemed like it happened decades ago.” she agreed with a smirk as he slowed down his pace. Iris reveled in their closeness. They walked to a nearby food stand by the train station. Barry was having a sandwich while Iris decided on lentil soup and salty crackers. They ate quickly in complete silence with Central City as background noise. Eating together in silence was something they had always done throughout the years. Both Barry and Iris loved food too much and preferred to enjoy whatever meal was in front of them.

    “So, how was visiting the courthouse today? Anything interesting?” he asked with genuine interest as they slowly walked back to CCPN. The couple took their sweet time.

   “There is always something going down there if you’re patient enough to look. I’m actually doing an investigative piece on the impending drug use in this city. The family that lost their daughter will be the centerpiece of the story. They’re deeply interested in advocating for anti-drug use to help save future families and lives.” she told him.

    “Well, it’s good that you’re giving  them some wanted coverage. How are _you_ dealing with it?” he asked.

    “You know, just trying to remain objective. But today really solidified for me that everything happens for a reason. Honestly, if my mom had stayed with us, I can’t completely deny that I would have dabbled in drugs. Who knows where I would be now?” she told him truthfully. Barry understood what she was getting at. However, he really believed that Iris would always be the best person she could be despite her surroundings.  

    “I don’t want to talk about anything depressing. I’m with you right now. I’m overjoyed.” she hinted playing with the collar of his jacket. Barry feared her love for him would hold Iris back. That was the last thing he wanted. She deserved to see the world, even if that meant she would be gone for awhile. A small smile found its way on his features. She took notice as her eyes were intensely focused on his lips.

   “Yes. It appears I am here with you. What are we going to do about that?”

Instead of responding, she leaned up on her toes as he met her halfway.

  
  


  

   

  

  


     
  
   
   
  
 


	4. It's All Coming Back To Me Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to tell Joe about their relationship. With the stakes higher now, Iris can no longer keep her secret. In return, Barry realizes that Iris is still recovering from her past relationship with Cameron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy chapter four. It's long overdue so this is my gift for this Fourth of July. Technically, we have less than an hour till the day is done but I digress. Fireworks are still going on in my neighborhood.

**Forever Part of Me**

Chapter 4: 

 

**_“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise, we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.”_ **

 

****__

 

Iris scanned the room in an earnest attempt to figure out where her bedroom was. There was a sea of crew neck sweaters in different shades of blue, various forms of tight or flowy skirts, finally dark wash jeans and fancy dinner-dresses scattered across the apartment’s bedroom furniture. You couldn’t forget about the stilettos and worn out converse dispersed around the hardwood floors. She huffed in defeat. Barry smoothed out the wrinkles on his sweater as he stood behind Iris while they faced the mirror together.   

“I told you to iron that last night.” Iris said donning a smirk at his obvious timidness. 

“I thought I would have time today, but..” she heard his voice drift off. His eyes squinted in concentration as his fingers began to sift through his auburn hair. She eyed his outfit choice. He was wearing pleated, dark wash dress pants. They were a skinny fit which tailored to his naturally long and skinny legs. Iris had bought them years ago for his 21st birthday. She remembered feeling ecstatic to find out that he would stop growing and she remembered searching around countless stores for nice quality pants. In conjunction with that, she had thought he would need them since he was turning into an official  _ adult _ . Tonight he paired the pants with some fairly used converse. If it were anyone else, Iris would cringe at the choice. But Barry could pull it off and she loved him for it. 

“You look fine.” she assured him with a click of her silver chain bracelet. The sound caught Barry’s attention further deterring his fixed concentration. There hadn’t been a color she couldn’t rock. Oblivious to Barry's gaze, she continued to adjust her intricate gold necklace. She had decided on a form-fitting, dusty colored dress which made it particularly hard to discern if it was a light pink or an off-white. The dim lights in the bedroom glowed upon her skin, making her appear even more ethereal. Barry took notice of the features on her face while her attention seemed to be elsewhere. He loved her long eyelashes, heavy lids, and perfectly arched eyebrows. And he swore her brown skin beamed legit gold undertones. She finally noticed his eyes soften at the sight of her. She knew Barry incontestably appreciated her style and attention to detail. Every day she walked out of her closet looking like a masterpiece due to her creativity and patience. 

“Not as fine as you.” he murmured wrapping his arms around her tiny waist. She sighed with calm, steady breaths. Her soft curls rested on his chest. Iris was still barefoot so her head barely reached his shoulders.  

“You like?” she feigned surprise with a charming smile and a twinkle in her chocolate brown eyes. He loved all of her smiles. Her big wide ones whenever he surprised her, the toothy smiles when she laughed, the small grins at him when she believed he wasn’t looking. His favorite smiles were her timid ones that would form into unrelenting elation and bliss across her beautiful features. Those smiles seemed to happen more often as of late. They could just be sitting together and he would kiss her lips just because, or when they would hold hands drifting around Central City together, or even just getting ready for bed and he would notice the shy smile appear. It was his favorite because he felt the same too. And whenever Barry did notice that smile appear, he would find himself mimicking it. 

“Mmhm.” he gave slow, heated kisses across the length of her neck. Her breathing became labored as she tried to control the always intense response to his ministrations. His big hands slowly made their way up to her chest as he stood behind her. Everywhere he touched felt like the warmth from sitting by a campsite fire. It reminded her of the carefree summer times with Barry while they were growing up. Joe was strict but always trusted her with Barry. She leaned back into his embrace almost as if it were complete submission. He knew she must have been wired from lack of sexual attention that week. He couldn’t help but be turned on by the height difference between them. Iris was so small compared to him that he just wanted to completely ravish her at times. She felt his arousal through the material of her tight dress. _ It would be so, so easy to just take off our clothes _ , which by the way for Iris always felt incredibly heavy in his presence, _ and have some alone time in bed.   _

“Too bad we have to leave now.” she pointed out, almost giving in to the sensations. Her eyes dropped to the side in exasperation. It was true. The entire week was filled with work and even more work. Being in love with your job and your partner proved to be challenging. Afternoons consisted of  mistakenly heated kisses during lunch breaks around the town. Nights lead to ending the day together, needy of affection yet exhausted from the day. Because of her high maintenance routine, Barry decided to sleep over at her place. Apparently, Iris needed: all of her clothes because options were a “must" in the morning, her cosmetics, hair tools, shoes, yoga materials... The list went on and on from Barry’s examination. His girlfriend’s busy and sporadic schedule did not leave much time for commuting from his apartment. If he could make her life any easier he was down for it. 

Besides, they needed each other in order to get a good night's rest. It was in the way that their bodies fit perfectly. The way that they innately clung to each other throughout the night. It was a silent way of promising they had missed each other. Iris’s left knee would almost always make their way draped across his abdomen. This was always a great surprise to Barry and sometimes he would,  _ maybe _ , secretly drag her lean thigh over himself. Naturally, she would hike her leg up further, completely oblivious. It was in the way that Iris would wake up with her head rested on his chest while he slept peacefully. Barry’s somewhat baby face was even more adorable at those times. His hair would be in a complete disarray, mainly due to her insistent and loving fingers from the night before. His long, delicate eyelashes made him look like a damn angel. And no matter how lightly she kissed him hello, his eyes would slowly flutter open, greeting her guilt ridden ones.  _ “It’s fine.” _ he would murmur tiredly. But looks were deceiving. Because when he would decide to finally wake up moments later, his less angelic side would appear with sensual kisses to quench the carnal ache he knew they both shared. A side he reserved only for her. He was just completely vulnerable, whether he was being angelic or naughty. And moments like those reminded her how much she appreciated Barry for selflessly sharing his love. They proved to be bittersweet moments as indicated from her stomach dropping with shame. She still harbored her secret. _ There just hadn’t been a good opportunity! _ As much as Iris wanted to believe this, she had begun to question her own justifications. A tiny part of her had a feeling that he already knew. Barry’s goodbyes were always sweet, however recently his hazel green eyes appeared as if he was emotionally preparing himself for the potential distance. 

“Where’d you go?” he whispered after some time with a soft kiss in the precious space between her jawline and neck. 

“Oh, sorry. Just thinking.” she promised with a slight shake of her head. Barry could tell something was off but before he could have pressed any further, Iris was already leaving his embrace. She couldn't bear to see the look of disappointment on his face.

“Let’s go. My dad is not going to be very happy if we keep him waiting for too long.” she looked down, holding her hair back lightly as she stepped into her pumps. 

 

*******

 

The Italian restaurant was particularly busy that Friday night as they approached the outdoor entrance. The couple eagerly scanned the entrance with their hands clasped together. They had finally spotted Joe due to Barry’s height.  _ It really is handy _ , Iris thought to herself with a smirk as she peered up at him. Through the somewhat breezy wind, she wrapped her hands around his arm so they wouldn’t lose each other as Barry led the way towards Joe. She liked the complexity of how he smelled. It was a mixture of lavender, vanilla, and oakmoss which created a scent that was both refreshing and earthy. She just wanted to hug him forever and be infused with all his goodness. 

“Well, it took you guys long enough.” Joe gruffed, juxtaposing the warm benevolence spread on his face. Iris playfully side-eyed Barry to which he laughed at. Her hands left Barry’s arm to hug her father. Barry soon followed suit with a tight embrace. The air was filled with warmth that could only be spread from years of established love. The bunch had been through many trials and tribulations. In the end, they stuck together. For a moment they all just grinned at each other. It felt like family, like home. 

“Hello, what’s the reservation name under?” the hostess asked. Both Iris and Barry confidently replied with their respective last names. Iris blushed facing her boyfriend’s confused face. 

“Sorry, I assumed you forgot to make the reservation.” she apologized. 

“It’s OK, better safe than sorry.” he said nonchalantly. Joe eyed the couple holding back his criticisms. 

“Follow me.” the hostess directed with three intricate menus in hand.

“You know, I really am so sorry about the mix-up. It’s been a busy week. I’m willing to pay for any inconveniences we may have caused.” Barry walked off apologizing to the hostess who tried to assure him that it really was fine. This left Iris with her dad for a few moments. 

“Dad… Barry doesn’t know about Thailand. Please don’t bring it up tonight. I’m going to tell him soon.” she quickly whispered under her breath with panic. 

“Iris, he already knows. I think he is just waiting for you to tell him. Don’t worry, I won’t bring it up.” he promised his daughter. 

“Thanks.” her face saddened momentarily. It didn’t last for much time though because a faint smile spread on her face at the sight of Barry waiting for her to take a seat. She and her dad finally made it to their reserved table after making their way around towards the back. Iris and Barry sat across from her father. She ran her fingers through her thick hair as Barry cleared his throat. 

“So... we have some important news to tell you.” he started nervously. Joe didn’t even get a moment to properly look at the menu. Iris had anticipated Barry’s eagerness, but she couldn’t help but crack a smile at his giddy behavior.

“Barry and I have started dating as of this past Monday.” Iris finished for him, again wrapping her hands around said boyfriend’s right arm. Dating. It seemed too simple of a label for them. Barry thought to himself silently. 

“I’m sorry to break it to you, but I’ve been onto this for the entire week.” he eyed them sternly. Barry seemed to struggle for his next breath with his mouth hung partly open. Joe’s daughter was no better. Her posture became rigid and she grasped even tighter to Barry for support. Struck by the frightened faces of the two, Joe scoffed with genuine laughter. It greatly amused and ( _ secretly _ ) empowered Joe that he could still strike fear upon them. 

“You guys, relax.” he assured the couple. Barry and Iris smiled sheepishly at each other. She noticed that his anxiety had diminished into utter relief almost immediately. In return, she lovingly rubbed his arm. As he licked his dry lips, he slowly nodded back at her through silent communication. Iris actively forced any arousing thoughts about Barry far, far away. Now was not the time. 

“Look, Joe, I know you and I have talked about my feelings for Iris, but once we actually gave it a shot, we kind of got wrapped up in our own little bubble...” his eyes looked to her for support. 

“And we honestly just wanted to keep it special between us for awhile until we officially  told anyone, especially you. Your opinion means the most.” Iris added.  

“It’s understandable. I mean, I didn’t go off running to my parents whenever I got in a new relationship. Don’t worry too much about my opinion, though. I’ve always known you two were perfect for each other.” Joe assured them again as he talked with his hands. 

“I thought this was going to be some big moment.” Barry admitted leaning back into the cushions of the seat he and Iris shared. A momentary pause of silence grew on them soaking up his words. 

“Seeing you guys together just feels right. Plus, I’ve had the whole week to realize that.” Joe scoffed again. Barry playfully rolled his eyes. Iris beamed at the loving relationship between her boyfriend and father. The dark ambiance contrasted the lively music in the restaurant matching her flighty mood. Her eyes casually drifted off to observe the other people in the restaurant. She wondered how many first dates were going on at that moment. She wondered how many of the relationships would last in that room. She wondered how strong the relationships were despite their face value presentations. As a journalist, her mind was always trying to dig deeper in order to find the hidden truth. In her personal life, she needed to practice what she preached. Just last week she was in a three-year relationship with a guy who really wasn’t the love of her life. Never again would she stick around just because. Now, however, she was in a completely different predicament. For the first time, an intensely rich relationship placed her at a crossroads. Barry was teaching her every day the power of a strong romantic love. She wanted nothing more than to reciprocate the same sentiment. Iris forced her anxieties away again as she was insistent on living in the moment. Instead, she drew her gaze to her boyfriend's side profile. He was animatedly talking to her father about a successfully closed case from work.  He also spoke with his hands and his insanely thick brows rose up in excitement. She loved his long sturdy nose along with the beauty marks that were dotted across his face and neck, seemingly without any rhyme or reason. Iris’s breath silently caught in her throat as butterflies danced through her veins. It was real. They were real. Telling Joe made them official. She couldn’t believe that such an incredible guy, who happened to be her lifelong best friend, was in love with her. A guy she had basically known her entire life. Her Barry. A nervous sensation swept through Iris as she bit her bottom lip in disbelief. Her left knee began to bounce. This caught Barry’s attention even before she could take notice. His large hand dropped to her thigh and slowly slid down to her knee as he tried to cool down her nerves. Barry had rubbed her exposed skin back and forth ever so softly, Iris wondered if she was imagining it. She moved closer to him in appreciation for his attention, receiving another faint breeze of his aromatic scent. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was especially needy. As much as she wanted to admire his beauty she began to further think about what her father had told her earlier. Barry had known all this time. She couldn't stall anymore.

*******

The air in the dimly lit shower was moist as they clung to each other's wet bodies. Everytime Barry tried to deepen a kiss, Iris would step down from her tippy toes and look away. She did, however, insist on keeping her hands securely wrapped around the back of his neck. Then moments later she would seek out his lips before pulling away all over again. She was desperate for his touch and closeness at the same time she seemed to be ashamed of it. After getting home from the restaurant, Barry had suggested they take a shower together. Iris had simply nodded and started undressing as she walked to her bedroom. 

"Iris." Barry pleaded softly as he tightened his hold around his girlfriend's slender wet waist. She never responded. His stomach dropped to see her in pain and all he could do was rub her back. He loved how small and powerful she was, even during moments like these. She stood at her full height as her hair curled into its natural curl pattern due to the water contact. Once they left the shower, Barry decided it was best to give her some privacy to continue her night time routine. The bathroom door clicked softly. 

Iris released a small breath she hadn’t been aware she was holding. Her pulse rose increasingly as her eyes stung from the utter resistance of tears. She hated herself for keeping secrets from him. Barry didn't deserve it. He proved to love her enough to give her the space to think things through, even at the expense of straining things between them. However, the guilt poisoned in her gut was self-inflicted. Because even though his love put Iris on top of the world, she decided that she wanted to leave anyway. The opportunities in Thailand were too incredible to pass up. Coming to grips with her decision on the ride home from the restaurant had caused the silent breakdown. All week she somehow had convinced herself that she was too busy and too caught up in the happy moments to really think about it. When in reality, she was ashamed of herself for already feeling excited about leaving Central City.  _ He doesn't deserve this. I am going to die alone. I guess I really am turning into  _ _ him _ _.  _ Still clad in her towel, she tried to silence the cryptic thoughts streaming around her mind. Iris moisturized her face after she scrunched up her curly locks to let them partially air dry. 

“Iris. Um..." Barry drifted off in a soft voice layered under immense nervous energy. Her eyes immediately landed on him from his place in the bed once she had left the bathroom. He had been reading some papers that looked work related. It also appeared that he went ahead and changed into boxers.

“Yeah, I know.” she agreed with a small voice. He watched her leave the bedroom as her crouched frame headed for the walk-in closet. Iris nixed the idea of wearing pajamas. She wanted close contact with her boyfriend, dammit. She huffed at her emotions. 

 

It was now around ten in the evening and Barry was helping Iris apply her lotion. Well actually, he was now rubbing her sore feet. They were placed in his lap while she rubbed her arms and legs deliberately. She would admit that the activity was a good distraction from the tension in the room. He was waiting for her to say something. Anything. Both were in their under garments as they reclined against the bedpost. He was dry now safe for his thick, dampening hair. 

“I’m glad that  _ it  _ went well.”  Iris started, referencing the dinner. She placed the bottle on her nightside table. The messy room was silently begging for a breakthrough. 

"Me too. But that's not what I meant." he pointed out, looking at her. She sighed out a long breath. 

"I do have something to tell you." the soft rubbing at her feet stopped. Barry traveled his hands up to the backs of her knees to draw her legs around his waist. She loved how he always preferred proximity. 

"On Monday I got an acceptance letter from the Bangkok Post. They want me as a reporting intern. Barry, working abroad… it’s something I’ve wanted and dreamt about ever since I started this career." she admitted. Her voice wavered in and out slightly, but she tried to keep cool by locking her eyes with his. Barry nodded his head in understanding as he massaged her upper thighs. 

“Joe said you were still unsure about accepting. I  _ was  _ going to ask you earlier this week. I was confused yet excited for you at the same time.” he said. 

“Why didn’t you?” she asked searching for his eyes.

“I didn’t bring it up because I know you like to think things through. I couldn’t bear to look at you every day if I made you miss out on such an awesome opportunity. I will always support your choices, Iris. As long as it’s something that will make you happy and isn’t dangerous.” he saw her face turn slightly at his words. 

“I appreciate the needed space. It was very kind of you. Well, how do you feel about it now?” 

“Honestly, now I’m just sad because I’m going to miss my best friend and girlfriend. But I want you to make a decision without me affecting it." he whispered to her. 

“That’s not what I want Barry.” she told him. He looked no less than confused as his eyebrows furrowed together. 

“We’re together now. If I just go off and make decisions without keeping you into consideration, what does that make us? How could you be OK with that?” she asked accusingly. He felt his heartbeat speed up in preparation for an argument. 

“That’s not what I meant and you know that. What’s really going on Iris?” he looked at her even as her eyes dropped down to the bed sheets.    

“Cameron and I were good together, but we never made decisions with our relationship being the top priority-”

“I’m  _ not  _ Cameron.” he almost barked at her. She nodded at that in agreement but she had more to say.

“He told me two weeks in advance that he was leaving for Tokyo. When I questioned him, I found out that he had known about it for at least six months. I remember feeling so insignificant to his life and its path. I felt dispensable, like a fucking chess piece that could be thrown out in order for him to win.” Barry continued to let Iris talk. She rarely used cuss words safe for extreme animosity or intense pleasure. He hadn’t been aware of all the pent up anger within her. 

“And then after all that, I fucking stayed with him. He left across the globe for Tokyo. Then guess what happened? He fucking broke things off over the phone. A three-year relationship, done just like that.” her voice shattered. 

“What are you trying to say Iris?” he asked again earnestly. He didn’t think his heart could manage if, for all this time, she still had feelings for that guy.

“I’m saying that I don’t want any parallels to that relationship. We’ve just started dating so things are light and easy but that doesn’t mean our decisions should be taken lightly. Because if we start out that way, it’s going to become normal. I don’t want that for us. You’re a part of my life and its path, Barry.” she said with tears in her eyes. 

At that, she grabbed his chin to further bring his lips down to hers for a deep kiss. His eyes fluttered shut in surprise. The tender and soft kiss lasted for a long moment. Minutes later, Barry felt tears against Iris’s cheeks. She pulled away and wiped her eyes as she came to her senses. He could tell that her anger subsided because of the kiss. He knew what they shared would never compare to what she had with Cameron or anyone else for that matter. She just needed to remember that and to not let her pessimistic side distort reality.  

“I didn’t know how you would react as my boyfriend so I just kept quiet for the time being to sort out my thoughts like you said. It was eating me alive. Every time a moment happened between us, my mind would drift off to dark thoughts. I'm so sorry, Bear. I never meant to put you in this position." she admitted between them, slightly hiccuping. All of her emotions would have confused any sane person, but Barry understood her. Iris also trusted him to do so. 

“Iris. You don't ever have to apologize for having your own dreams. But I don’t appreciate feeling like you’re comparing me to the way that asshole treated you. You have to remember that  _ we’ve  _ always been able to work out our problems together. I’m still Barry, your best friend,” he took her hands into his.

“I never intended to make it seem like our decisions were dismissable. I’m sorry for making you feel that way. Even though our relationship has changed, I want you to be able to see the world. Experience it all.” he promised with watery eyes. Iris could practically hear her heart beat through her ears.  

“I thought I was putting everything between us at risk. Sure we’ve had countless fights throughout the years, but we are grown up now with mature responsibilities. If we break up… I’m never going to be prepared for the possibility of not having you a part of my life.” Barry looked down at the mattress with a hurt expression. He wouldn’t know what to do either, he would be lost without her. They were forever a part of each other both, in existence and choice. He wanted Iris to take the opportunity and run with it. It would be an unforgettable experience.

“I think… I think I’m going to do it.” she said in a small voice after a few beats of silence. Her voice sounded as if she was about to say the words  _ do it  _ before telling someone to rip off a bandaid. She wondered if Barry could possibly hear her heartbeat too.

“I’m so unbelievably proud of you. Now give me a proper kiss, you’ve been holding out on me all night.” he tried to lighten the mood. She wiped the tears from under his eyes with her thumbs before leaning up from the mattress to press her lips to his. At first contact, the kiss left fluttering butterflies in both of their fully fed bellies. They finally reached a breakthrough and the happiness at that was tangible through the kiss. Barry sucked on Iris’s bottom lip as if it were succulent fruit. An elated moan escaped her. Barry was a really good kisser. To her expense, she was quickly learning that he could always turn her on. The once tender and sweet air between brewed into a titillating yearn. Her mind was brought back to earlier in the evening. Now they could follow through with some alone time. 

“What I want to know is, why and how are you so good at kissing?” she joked moving her body closer. 

“Am I the best you’ve experienced?” he asked seriously.  

“Answer my question.” she giggled playfully, pushing his shoulder with a blush on her cheeks. 

“Let’s see, it really is a science with most people but with you, I just sort of feel it out. It totally depends on your mood.” he divulged heating up her senses. She became aware of his touch and intense gaze. 

“My mood, hmm? What would you say my mood is right now.” she inquired with an arched brow trying to test his credibility. 

“I would say you are tense and desperate for release.” he licked his lips. “You’re also very happy to get the news off your chest.” he finished proudly.  

“More or less...” she feigned a poker face. 

“More or less? I would say that’s pretty spot on from the range of emotions you just went through.” he replied with a heated breath, brows raised. 

“Well, you’re the scientist. Test out your hypothesis.” she said moving her face closer, excited for his kiss. When he didn’t kiss back despite her insistence she pulled away. 

“You’re a lousy scientist, Mr. Allen.” she pouted. 

His mind seemed to be elsewhere as he zeroed in on her exposed neck. A form of pure anticipation was made when they both heard a short gasp escape from her lips. He left a tender kiss in the space between her neck and ear. Iris no longer had the strength to stay up, resulting in her falling back into the soft pillows and Barry following. The wisps of her curly hair tickled his forehead. She let out a deep moan and sighed when he pulled away. He was propped above her body with his arm holding his weight by her head.

“See, you're covered with goosebumps. In most cases, the stimulus of cold surroundings causes the tiny muscles attached to each hair follicle to contract. This contraction causes the hair strands to literally stand on end. Obviously, you’re nowhere near shivering right now. I would say the exact opposite. Which would indicate that you are feeling extreme emotions in response to me: the stimulus. I can feel your pulse beating rapidly. You’re tugging at me because you want release.” Barry explained as he lightly grazed her skin with his fingertips. Iris was no longer listening to what he was saying. She wanted his mouth on hers.  _ Now _ . Barry was determined though to prove his point. He started to pepper deep kisses from behind her ear traveling to her clavicle. Iris swore she would kill him if he stopped again. 

“Yes,” Iris moaned. Just when she trusted him, he pulled away. She gruffed out unintelligible words, grasping at the backs of his auburn hair. He smiled down at her heavy-lidded eyes which were glazed in arousal. It amused him because she was very clearly annoyed so her eyes fought to stay stern. 

“Stop teasing me.” she whined in a slow drawl. Only Barry could make her whine when he made her feel like this. 

“I want to kiss you somewhere else. Are you OK with that?” he asked above her timidly. His hands were already gripped to her hips but he made sure his fingertips grazed over the mentioned area as he spoke. He didn’t know if she would object and did not want to do anything she was not completely comfortable with. Their first night had been pretty intimate, but they never went beyond that. Iris was in such a deep haze of arousal that she could only nod up to him at first. 

“Do it. Please.” she mewled as he continued to wait for her words. If his kisses were any indication, she could only imagine how his lips would feel elsewhere. Before she knew it, his lips were back on her chest. Iris was wearing a nude-brown, silk bralette with a matching set of bottoms. Barry loved how it felt against his touch. However, the feeling of Iris’s soft skin would always be better. He easily slipped off the garment, shocked by how delicate and thin the material was. Always curious, Barry wondered why she wore it since the clothing item contained absolutely no support. He decided he would have to ask later as he threw the piece towards the end of the bed. With her chest exposed to him, she sighed in elation. Barry loved how confident she was with her body, especially with him. She stretched her back, completely relaxed. He planted another deep kiss to her lips before pulling away to make his way down her body. She brought her fingers to her lips in awe of how stung they felt. Her attention was cut off though at the feel of his soft lips on her lower stomach. She looked down to see the top of his head and began to play with his hair. 

“Barry…” she whispered just because. He smirked at her blissful declaration which she could only feel against her skin.

“You ready?” he asked again with kisses to her left inner thigh. Her response to him was a deep moan as she spread her legs just a tad wider. Iris couldn’t believe what was happening. In particular, she couldn’t tell what was more surprising: how natural everything felt or what was actually happening. He pressed a kiss to her covered mound. She hissed.  _ Get it together, girl _ she scolded herself. He gently tugged down the matching underwear, her aroused scent pleasantly blinded his senses. Internally, he was battling between nervous energy along with a strong determination to please her. He also feared he would enjoy it too much. She rubbed her thighs together seductively. A small, calming breath escaped his lips at the sight of her. Her hair was curly from the shower and was currently splayed across her cream colored pillows. Iris was now fully naked and he could honestly notice the effect of the lotion she had liberally applied. He had seen her naked throughout the week but this moment promised something more. Complete and utter intimacy. They were now on the same page. No more secrets. He wanted to save the image of her like this into his memory so when she left for Thailand he would have something to hold onto.  

“Don’t you dare stop.” she warned playfully.  _ Trust me, that’s the last thing I want to do. _ He thought to himself noticing she was already soaking wet. Iris moaned at the first contact of his gentle tongue on her slit. He loved how vocal she was. He explored the sensitive flesh at the same time seeking to go deeper. She was the best thing he had ever tasted. It was quite literally a physical manifestation of her pleasure and need for him. Her sweet mixed with dark filled fragrance ignited something primal within him. He wanted to simultaneously prolong her need for pleasure and to also be the one to give her release. Iris continued to give out small cries of pleasure as he gave relentless licks, kisses, and nips to her clit. He wouldn’t stop until release took over her. 

“Hmmm… that was too good.” she whispered to him as he climbed back up her small body. She saw that his lips were covered in her essence. He smiled a goofy grin, not a care in the world. 

“Yes, it was. I enjoyed it a lot. Let’s promise to do that a lot more.” he smirked. He leaned down to lock lips with hers. She liked the taste of herself on his lips. Before Barry could process what was going on, Iris had him pinned to the bed with her on top.

“Now it’s my turn.” she said both playful and serious sat astride his lap. She could feel his arousal pressing beneath her own heat. Barry became silent. Seeing Iris like this, on top of him… He wouldn’t be lying if he hadn’t dreamed of it before. 

“It’s a little unfair, don’t you think.” she said in reference to her nakedness. He was still in his boxers. All he could do was nod his head slowly. The bed smelled of her and he believed it was honestly throwing him off.  _ Yeah, right sure _ . He thought to himself sarcastically. Iris tugged down his boxers leaving him completely naked like her. His body was so long and sturdy she just wanted to ride him till the morning.  He seemed to be almost completely hard but not enough for entrance. Her small hand eagerly grasped around the base of his thick length. She heard him hiss out as he shut his eyes closed. 

“Open your eyes. I wanna know if I’m pleasing you, baby.” she whispered to him gently. His big eyes opened in response to what she called him conveying the vulnerable and carnal side of him. Iris knew damn well when she called him that, he would do whatever she wanted. He pulsed in her hand from her words. 

“Do you like it up or down, soft or hard?” she asked with wide eyes, stroking him softly. His heart soared at her genuine concern for his pleasure. 

“With you anything is fine. I’m so ready for you.” he murmured to her. She had him completely at her mercy. The innocent expression on her face indicated she had no idea of that fact. 

“Since I want you inside me so badly that it hurts, your answer will pass for now.” she warned him with heated eyes. Her hands reached behind his pillow case and to his surprise, she pulled out a couple packs of condoms. 

“Well, well, well. Look who came prepared.” he smiled at her. 

“I’ve had them stored around the apartment for when we would finally get some alone time. I can’t help it OK.” she blushed opening the packaging with shaky fingers. 

“I love you.” he told her. She leaned down to give him a kiss not yet able to say the words. For Barry, the kiss would suffice. Pulling away from his lips, her eyes landed on his body, particularly on his lower body. Her hand stroked over slowly from the tip to the base. 

“Fuck… Iris.” he gruffed out. “I’m ready. Are you?” he asked moments later with concern in his eyes. She nodded drunk with overwhelming anticipation. Her hands proved to be too shaky to wrap the condom so his hands guided her. After securing it in place they each shared a small smile. His large hands came to grasp her hips. They shuddered upon the fluid motion of him entering her; further becoming one. A few beats later, Iris was eager to tame the inferno within her. She rocked her hips. He grasped tighter loving how she felt in his hands. Her palms were pressed against his chest as she ground her hips slowly.  

“I’m not going to last.” she murmured above him in a deep pleasure filled sigh. Barry enjoyed the vision before him. Her eyes were screwed together as she worked him with sure, fast strokes. He looked down to where they were connected and almost lost all oxygen. 

“Look at us, Iris.” he whispered trying to get her to slow down. He wanted the moment to last. This caught her attention, but not for long because he felt her nails dig into the skin of his chest. Another tactic would have to be used. Barry flipped them over with him on top again. She really was so tiny. He spent a few moments to get the length of his body to be aligned with hers. Once he found the perfect angle she moaned out and wrapped her legs around his waist. 

“Iris. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” he promised with a kiss behind her ear. He started with slow and deep thrusts. He wanted her to feel  _ all  _ of him. 

“Do you feel that?” he asked. She nodded immediately.

“Faster.” she bit back. 

“Later.” he replied insistently. She grabbed his buttocks and bucked her hips from under him in defiance.  

“Tsk tsk. You really want to do things the hard way tonight.” he said as he grabbed her wrists. She found them bound to the pillows above her head. 

“Barry. It’s been a long week.” she pleaded straining under his gentle yet firm hold. 

“Exactly. We need to go slow right now. Later I promise to let you go as fast to your heart’s desire.” he said eyes locked with hers. 

“I guess that’s reasonable.” she agreed obsequiously. 

“I’m going to eat those words later, right?” he asked her with an easy smile. Dating Iris also meant he was dating a top-notch journalist.

“Yup.” she laughed with an ear wide grin. And he loved it. He loved her. The many sides to their relationship. The many sides to his Iris. 

The undying heat between them brought him back to the task at hand. He leaned down for deep kiss and pulled away before she got carried away. 

“I want you to know that you’ve always been central to my life and its path. It’s an honor that you want me in the same way. Even if you’re angry with me I don’t want you to ever forget that.” he said through slow strokes that each could feel deep in their souls. 

“I won’t.” 

“You’re mine and I am yours, you got that?” he asked with a deep thrust. She moaned but the look in her eyes indicated her words were just as sincere as his. 

“Yes. I’m yours.” and despite the slow pace he tried to maintain, she came before his eyes. And the sight of her arousal in conjunction to the feel of her tight channel constricting around him had Barry following Iris down the same rabbit hole. 

  
  
  
  
  



	5. Our Little Sweet Nothings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Iris make plans for the future, along with some surprises and some mistakes. Lots of fluff and love.

Forever Part of Me

**Chapter 5** : Our Little Sweet Nothings

__     

 

_ " _ _ I had to touch you with my hands, I had to taste you with my tongue; one can't love and do nothing." _

— Graham Greene (The End of the Affair)

*******   
  


His body froze at the sound of the front door along the rustic jangle of keys. She was home. One reason this was bad was because their laundry was still sprawled on the leather couch where she left it for him earlier. In conjunction with the fact that his complete lack of cooking skills had turned the kitchen into an utter mess. He heard the click of her heels patter against his hardwood floors. She hummed to herself pleasantly. Suddenly, there was a halt of steps before following a deep sigh escaping from, what he imagined, a frown on her lips. He scrambled around the small kitchen in urgent hopes of bettering its appearance. She heard the noise coming from the kitchen and followed the sound.

"Barry...?" the last syllable of his name came out slightly pitched.  

"Kitchen, babe." he shouted. Moments later, he turned around to face her. Barry couldn't help but scan her small body as she entered the room. It was virtually impossible to miss the pissed off glare she wore. That and the way she gripped the clothes so much so that her wrists were shaking.

"Hmm... funny.  _ You  _ aren't supposed to be here. Maybe that explains why our dress clothes aren't dry cleaned!" she said mouth hung appalled. Her brown eyes conveyed vehement forbidding which Barry expertly read as code red: danger zone.

"Babe, I'm so sorry. I was on my way to walk down to Pins & Needles. Then I got hungry and I was worried about long lines. So I started to make a sandwich and then I saw the brownie boxes I bought for you and I thought it would be nice if I made you a treat for when you came home. I was going to leave after I made the batter, but then I thought it wouldn't be smart to leave the oven on, unattended, if I wasn't sure how long I would be gone. Then I accidently spilled the batter all over the counter. I've been trying to make it from scratch and it's.... it's hard work, lemme tell you. I'm sorry. I was so focused that I forgot about your clothes." he said all in one breath. 

She wanted to laugh at his adorableness. His hazel-green eyes had traveled everywhere during his lengthy explanation. They finally landed on hers with sincerity. The grey t-shirt that hung over his long and skinny torso looked as if he was recently involved in a food fight. He even had brownie batter on the tips of his auburn hair and small specks that had dried across his forehead. Almost looked like war paint. Her vise-like hold on their dress clothes steadily relaxed . 

The next thing he knew, she was walking past him and towards the dining table in the back corner. His gaze followed her body. She quietly folded their clothes and placed them on top the table. He watched as she rolled up the sleeves of the tight, white shirt which already exposed her well-defined abs. He didn’t understand the point of grown women wearing shirts that looked like they could fit a five or an eight-year-old. “ _ They're called crop tops, Barry _ .” But, Barry had to admit it. He did like them on her, but for  _ his  _ eyes only. He would always have a hand on her waist, her hip, over her shoulder or simply grasping her hand in his. Now that they were official, Iris would blush at his possessiveness. She appreciated the fact that he wouldn't fight about her, sometimes, revealing outfit choices. But she liked that secret side to him. Iris would never tell him this, but something about his possessiveness was sexy and would always turn her on. Right now, though, he was an adorable shaky mess. He gulped as she approached him where he stood stationed by the sink. The complete silence freaked him out. Snide remarks he was used to. Hell, loud and angry he could take! But eerie silence? He never knew what to expect with that reaction. The possibilities were endless. Like that one time in high school when she gave him the silent treatment for almost two good weeks because Barry ratted her out to Joe about her staying late with some sketchy guys. And then there was the other time when he pulled a science prank on her and she pretended that everything was cool, but then got revenge by teaming up with his lab partners. Those green stains took days to wash out. And from the outside looking in, she was so so small in comparison to him. He towered over her even in her heels. But Barry knew to never doubt his Iris. She was fire contained in a small package. 

"You've made quite a mess." she said looking up at him. Her lashes fluttered softly. In her mind, she liked that she could scare him a little.

"Iris, I'm so sorry." 

She leaned up as high as she could go to grasp his lips. They probably had been bitten down on when he was baking. He froze at the contact. That was not the reaction he had imagined. Almost immediately, he gave back as much passion. His sticky hands came to grasp the sides of her warm face. Realizing what he had done, he pulled back remorsefully. 

"Oop. I'm sorry. I forgot." he bit down on his bottom lip nervously. She grinned up at him and gave his lips another peck. His apology count in the span of the past five minutes was typical of Barry. If he ever felt that he had wronged her in any kind of way, he would get super fidgety. It was if he wanted to physically scratch off the guilt. As she fell back to the balls of her feet she continued to descend small kisses from his cheeks to his jaw and finally to his long neck. All of which were scattered with freckles and beauty marks impossible to discern between the two.  _ I forgive you, Bear, I always will, _ she silently promised with each press of her lips to his hot skin. And she loved this new aspect between them that their relationship had created. Sometimes words were a nuisance and kissing Barry was always better.

"Iris. I don't know what to say." he muttered, cheeks flushed. The way he said her name in such breathless abandon never ceased to create butterflies in her stomach and heat in her veins. And it honestly was adorable that he was at a loss for words. It really wasn't that big of a deal to Iris. The Picture News Ceremony wasn't for another two weeks. She simply liked plans and preferred to stick to them. Her full head of deep brown hair was all he could see of her. She tucked herself into the smallest crevice of his neck. He wanted Iris badly but couldn't read her at the moment.  

"I say we finish what you started." she reverted her attention back to the kitchen itself.

"And then what?" he asked worriedly when she began to measure vanilla extract in a teaspoon before pouring the liquid into a small, unused bowl.

"Then you're taking your ass to Pins and Needles to get our clothes dry cleaned." Iris surmised with an easy shrug. 

And he couldn't argue with that. He loved doing things for her, anything to make her life easier, but sometimes (almost always) his plans simply didn't work out. Iris understood this about him which was why she gave him a small, reassuring smile in return.

"Sounds like a plan!" he replied eagerly.

"You're not off the hook." she pointed out trying to maintain sternness. Her back was to him as she wiped the countertop with a fresh paper towel. The small of her back was revealed to him. 

But he really _was_ off the hook because when he snaked his arms around her waist, her rigidness evaporated. She stopped wiping the counter to entangle her small hands with his long ones. He could practically hear a purr when he returned similar like kisses from her jaw to her neck. 

_ Dammit, he's got me _ she smiled to herself. 

 

*******

 

The dark purple sky loomed across the city as bits of the confident sun desperately tried to peek through. It had been later in the afternoon when Barry finally commenced his walk down to Pins & Needles. The nearby shop was another reason he loved his neighborhood. Granted, Barry never once had a reason to step foot into the shop until that moment but it was reassuring nevertheless. The atmosphere was surprisingly warm for fall time in Central City. The crinkled leaves crunched underneath his black high-top converse. Borderline red variations of burnt orange leaves were scattered across the streets and the misty grass. As he began to bask the warm air, a breeze arrived ruffling through his hair. The deep yearn to turn back around was almost unbearable to fight off. But he needed to get this done. It was going to be the first appearance they made as a couple. Barry was excited to be her plus one. Iris, on the other hand, was a nervous bundle of energy. Her hyper planning personality had gone into overdrive ever since he agreed to go with her. She was back at his apartment cleaning the mess he had previously made in the kitchen. It was a great surprise to him that she knew how to make brownies from scratch. Barry insisted that they refer to the directions saved on his phone but she promised that she knew what she was doing. That didn't stop him from scolding her when she sneaked licks at the batter. 

_ "Iris. You could get salmonella."  _

_ "That day hasn't come yet. I must be immune." _ she argued with puppy dog eyes. 

 

After much effort, he snatched the batter away from her reach. Sure enough, the brownies had turned out perfectly. They were warm and fluffy with a nice bite to them. He knew there was a great possibility that the chocolate treats would be gone by the time he got back home. 

 

"Welcome to Pins & Needles. How can I help you today?" the elderly man at the counter greeted pleasantly. He was a short, jovial looking man with warm eyes that reminded Barry of Iris's grandfather. Barry subtly surveyed the fairly empty shop as he approached the front desk. 

"Good afternoon, sir! I just need to dry clean some clothes." Barry smiled placing the brown paper bag on the counter. He glanced around the shop as the man opened up the contents of the bag. A young blonde woman, appearing to be about his age, emerged from the back curtains. She had been wearing a deep scowl that transformed into a sultry smile at the sight of Barry. And he really didn't know how to react to any type of female attraction besides from Iris. He grew uncomfortable with her heated eyes.  

"Now, would you look at that? Your girlfriend's got some style." the man inquired with genuine interest. Thankfully, this demanded Barry's attention and it was fairly amusing how enamored the man was with the clothes. Barry's heart drummed against his chest at the mere mention of Iris.

"Yup, it's for my girlfriend and I. She has some work events coming up. I actually offered to help out with this earlier, but I got sidetracked." he replied with a wide smile making sure to express 'my girlfriend' particularly loud.

"I can tell." the old man stared at Barry's lips. Barry's right hand went to touch the skin there. Sure enough, his fingertips wiped off a residue resembling the deep, berry red lipstick Iris had been wearing. He could still feel the young woman's gaze even as she pretended to busy herself with papers from the desk. 

"Oh erhm." Barry gruffed blushingly. The old man brushed off Barry's nervousness. He was more fascinated with the clothing in the brown bag.

"These aren't just some clothes. How did she get her hands on this dress?" the man asked, bright eyes ablaze. Said dress was being pulled out of the bag. Barry could not understand his excitement. 

"The mall?" Barry replied confused. 

"No no no, this isn't from the mall. As much as I love Central City, our mall isn't really sporting high fashion. This piece right here was definitely made overseas. It's not even sold here." the man awed at the seams before moving on to the rich color of the dress.  

"Rachel?" She faked surprise before walking over to the elderly man. 

"Yes, Papa?" she asked in a soft voice, tucking her blonde hair behind her pierced ears. She snuck Barry another knowing smile. Barry then looked away to read his watch. 

“This isn't sold in malls, yeah?” he asked his daughter or granddaughter, Barry honestly could not tell. 

"Nope. See, just look at the sizing." she pointed out extending her arm. Barry pretended to adjust and then re-adjust his watch until "Rachel" walked away back to her corner.

"I'll have to ask her when I get back home." he promised, now alone with the elderly man. Both were now gazing at the garment dreamily. Barry grew eager to see the dress on her body. Her slim curves would definitely fill out the dress further bringing the garment to its full potential. The Picture News Ceremony couldn't have seemed further away. 

  
  


*******

  
  


As usual, time was moving too fast for him. He would get a mini heart attack when he thought he had forgotten something. The ascending elevator, however, was not getting the memo.  _ These contraptions are meant to speed up travel time, not prolong it. _ He looked down at the watch that had been hastily wrapped around his lean wrist. The time indicated he was running 15 minutes late to work and he didn’t want to bump that up to twenty. Not that the difference would mean anything to Captain Singh. Barry shook his head at himself. He had believed this part of his life was over. A deep sigh in, albeit, agitated relief  flowed from his lips when things came to a halt. Finally, the grand elevator doors of the Central City Police Department breached open. The plan to discreetly walk to his lab was immediately ruined at the sight of his boss across the elevator doors.

“I see that you’re retreating back to your old ways, Allen?” Singh greeted caustically to Barry. The short man was able to hold a great deal of animosity towards him. 

“Oh! No, sir. Absolutely not, Sir, just a rough morning.” Barry replied resisting the urge to call him  _ Sir  _ a third time. He never seemed to be in the Captain’s good graces which always left Barry on pins and needles around him. He stumbled out of the elevator as Singh entered. The Captain wore a frown that was seemingly always present around Barry. 

“You know, I didn’t hear an apology in any of that.” 

“I-” 

“Save it, Allen. Less talk and more work. I’m expecting great work for this new project.” Singh retorted as he pushed a floor number once inside the elevator. The doors closed definitively before Barry could ask what new project he was referring to. In his defense, this morning had  _ actually  _ been rough. He woke up to an empty bed which was strange because it wasn’t even his bed. Ever since he started partially living in her apartment, he savored mornings. It was a select waking moment to be around his girlfriend. This morning she had gotten ready right under his nose. She hadn’t even given him a good morning kiss on the way out. It didn’t matter if he was knocked out asleep, he would always wake up to a kiss from her. And worst of all, he could not help but believe she had done it purposefully. He tightened the strap against his right shoulder to prevent the bag from fleeing as he made a sharp turn into the long hallway which led to his private lab. Barry huffed when he couldn’t find the passcard in any of his jean pockets so he opened the flap of his work bag. His eyes caught the light illuminated from his silent phone. It was a text from Iris. 

**_Iris West:_ ** _ Didn’t have time for yoga this morning. :( Guess what I’m drinking?  _

 

And he wanted to be annoyed because he missed her, but he smiled at his phone instead. He dropped the phone back into the hold of the bag to retrieve the passcard. His lab looked exactly the same as it did the day before which pleased him greatly. This was his space and nothing made him happier than knowing he had this entire lab to himself to do his best work. He did the behind-the-scenes work to ensure justice. Moments later, after settling into the expansive lab he texted back: 

 

_ The options are endless. I think you went for a simple black coffee today. I know you’re probably kicking yourself for skipping. You always go for a bitter taste when you’re mad at yourself.  _

It had been a couple of hours when he realized that Iris never responded to his text. He placed the lab results on the table top and took off his goggles. As a forensic scientist, his eyes would strain from all of the intense concentration. He rubbed them with his knuckles and decided a brief break was best for his eyes. Besides, he was waiting for some other chemical reaction results. Picking up his phone from across the lab, he sent a quick question mark to her number. 

 

_? _

 

**_Iris West:_ ** _ I hope I’m not too much of a distraction today… _

  
  


_ What _ ? He furrowed his thick brows together. Then he smelled her familiar scent causing him to turn around. 

 

“I actually added a few hints of cinnamon and vanilla extract. I wasn’t  _ too  _ mad at myself because I was planning on surprising you.” she explained walking towards him with a knowing smirk tugging at her full lips. Barry closed the distance between them. He wrapped his long arms around her once she was close enough. 

“What are you doing here?” he asked, the excitement radiating off him. His eyes were everywhere. Her hair, her teasing dark brown eyes, her lips, her outfit, her scent. She was all consuming and he loved her more for it. 

“I-” she started but Barry eagerly fused his lips to hers cutting off her answer. She hadn’t been able to get on her tippy toes in preparation for the kiss so he hunched his back in order to connect their lips. He had missed her so much.

“Ah, sorry. I had to do that.” he grinned down at her from ear to ear backing away from her lips. Iris still looked dazed as she smiled up at him dreamily. He rubbed her lower back lovingly. 

“I was going to say that been working on a few potential follow up stories for the piece I wrote about the Daniels.” she smiled a toothy grin. He remembered her piece about Jackie Daniels, the teenager who had passed away due to a drug overdose. The young woman’s family sought out Iris to write a story about the impending drug use among teens in Central City. 

“Yeah, I remember. What kind of follow-up?” he asked. Her article seemed conclusive and she hadn’t mentioned anything more about it until now. 

“Well fortunately for me the Sunshine Laws here are very open. So I was thinking I could stop by today and talk to some officers involved with recently locked up drug dealers. Take a look at some records… I just want to investigate a little more.” 

“Iris, that’s great! I hate to ask this, but… are you planning on getting information for your story only from here?” Barry inquired eyebrows raised in worry. 

“Why do you ask?” she grinned sheepishly. He didn’t know how he felt about her reaction.

“Because I know you. You’re going to want to get as many credible sources as possible. Even if that means in dangerous and risky places.” he explained looking down at her knowingly. 

She sighed as she nodded her head. 

“I do plan to visit some suburbs near Jackie’s hometown. I also plan to visit some urban areas to see if there are any significant correlations. I’m a journalist. I have to.” Barry looked at her ready to argue. 

“But….” she smiled mystically up at him. This silenced any retort from Barry. His confused and worried filled eyes grew stronger.

“But what?” he shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t see the silver lining in any of this. She was going to be around drug-torn areas. But she continued to give him an excited grin.

“Earlier this morning, I spoke with Singh and proposed my intentions about this new article. It’s going to be my last big project before I fly off to Thailand. I asked if you could work with me on this case as a CSI. I completely understand if you would rather not, so it’s up to you if you want to pursue this full time or not. But we’ve been talking about missing each other a lot lately and…”  Iris watched Barry consider her answer, his eyes flickering back and forth across her face trying to read her. She felt eager and compulsive under his gaze, her eyes begging him to believe her. After a moment, he lowered his gaze, nodding once. Iris released a breath, wrapping her other hand up around his neck as his mouth curled up into a soft smile.

 

“I can’t believe you got Singh on board with this.” he smiles at her proud. 

“I have to admit I was nervous because of the way he treats you. Singh sort of knew the Daniels’ so he saw the merit in my story.” she explained. 

“Was he rude to you?” he asked bringing her impossibly close.  

“Don’t worry, he was very kind.” she assured him. 

“You do know what this means, right?” he smirked,  his hands exploring the smooth expanse of her hips . She smiled into his tight embrace. But she wanted him to understand.

“Now we get to see each other a lot more until the story gets released. I was hoping you would say yes. I wanted to surprise you.” 

"Definitely surprised me. I love your thoughtfulness. Thank you.” he said in earnest. 

  
“I love your willingness to adapt.” she replied.  

 

“Now, where were we?" he whispered, leaning down to brush his lips against hers once, twice. On the third touch, she captured his upper lip between hers and gently bit down with ardor. His tongue immediately searched for the familiar warmth of hers and, upon finding it, he inhaled at the contact between them. Iris felt as if she is melting into his embrace, submitting to the kiss while scorching sparks languidly erupt in her taut belly. Her palms become moist against the back of his neck as she clutched him with longing. The kiss that had once started off slow and innocent, was now moving with a frenzy and passion new and thrilling to both of them. She found herself lifting up on tiptoes, trying to get closer. He helped her up and she reaches into the true warmth of his mouth. He heard her whimper, a telltale sign she was almost over the edge. And he loved knowing the small details of her body and its reactions. They kissed forever, getting lost with each other until the balls of her feet ache and her breathing slows down. She breaks away, light headed from the lack of oxygen. She smiled up at him, noting the smear of lipstick coating his bottom lip and the dazed expression on his face. She could feel the pounding of his heart through her breast, pressed enticingly against his. They slowly began to materialize the outside world. He gives her a goofy grin. 

_         We gon’ be alright, _ Iris smirked to herself as she lazily wipes the product off his stung lips. 

  
  



	6. I Just Can't Stop Loving You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry tries a sleeping pill made by his good friend Cisco. Iris receives a lead from a mysterious man named Wally and with the support of Captain Singh, Joe, and Barry she decides to pursue it.

                  

 

 

 

**Forever Part of Me**

**Chapter 6** :  _ I Just Can’t Stop Loving You  _

  
  


Barry was grateful that Iris was tired. Her were legs wrapped around his lower waist as he moved into her body with slow, sure strokes. 

“Barr.” she hissed with her eyes screwed shut. She arched her head back into the soft pillow. Her forehead was now parallel to the ceiling with her neck reaching for his touch. She felt his lips descend to press soft kisses to the skin there. He felt, more than heard, her deep moans. Iris’s fingers were insistent in his hair. Strands of auburn pointed in different directions. He looked down at her hair which hadn’t yet been wrapped for sleep. It was supposed to have been a pretty quiet night together but she had worn the same flimsy lilac short shorts from oh so long ago. He absolutely loved how they looked on her legs even more because real life proved to be better than any fantasy he had dreamed of. Unfortunately, the bags underneath her eyes prevented him from making a move. As they sat in bed together, each on their respective laptops, conversations were light. He was experimenting the effectiveness of some sleep pills crafted by Cisco, a friend of his from college. Cisco’s pill meant to give long-lasting, peaceful sleep that automatically woke the patient up from an eight-hour slumber. So far, he hadn’t noticed any indicators of fatigue or any other notable side effects. But then she started kissing him. First on the corner of his mouth then he turned to face her. She sat on her knees, her slow kisses went on and on their devices long forgotten. The next thing he knew, he was sucking on her rigid nipples as her legs draped firmly around his waist. And now they were here. Almost at the precipice of release. And he wanted nothing more than to go over the edge with her, together. His eyelids grew incredibly heavy despite his speeding heart rate. He needed to get Iris  _ there  _ before he fell asleep on her chest. She was leisurely moving underneath his long body determined to get as much pleasure from him as possible. And he knew how to get her there. With a small smile on his face, he trailed his hand down past her stomach and all the way down to where they were intimately joined. Her once dazed eyes now flickered open at him in carnal awareness. He drew light circles at her sensitive folds before moving his index finger to caress her clit. It only took a few sure strokes of his fingers to cause her insides to contract around him rapidly. She began to writhe underneath him. Heavy moans danced from her lungs. And he happily joined her as they both tried to drag out the addictive sensations. Moment’s later he kissed her until her eyes opened. 

“That was good. What’s the rush though?” she sighed with pouty eyes. 

“I forgot to tell you that I took some experimental sleeping pills.” he explained. She glared at him. 

“Barry! Why would you let me seduce you if you took sleeping pills? Experimental ones at that.” she almost shrieked. 

“Well…. I hadn’t noticed any side effects. Have you seen how beautiful you are?” he joked eyes hazy and his voice going at the speed of a slowing down car. She couldn’t help but feel her cheeks burn at his compliment but she was still angry at him. He felt her pinch his collar bone. 

“I almost collapsed on top of you.” he whispered like a little boy with a big secret, too exhausted to repel the pinch. She decided that she would reprimand him the next day. 

“Do you know how sexy  _ you  _ are?” she whispered huskily. He hummed with a slow shrug. 

“You are. I love your muscles, your eyes turn me on, don’t get me started on your hands.” she went on with confidence because he was halfway asleep. She moved them to their sides, unfortunately, dislodging his member from her sensitive center. She wanted him to lay down comfortably. He tugged at her waist to bring her closer. 

“Don’t worry. I’m here, you ridiculously stupid, sexy man.” she giggled kissing his neck, her favorite spot. His heartbeat was slow and steady. She ran her hand up and down his warm skin as her other hand massaged his nape. Barry’s cheeks were flushed, eyes closed peacefully. His warm body grew limp. Almost immediately, she heard a knock from her apartment’s front door. Barry’s eyes opened sluggishly. 

“You invited friends?” he giggled confused. 

“Shhh. Go back to sleep, babe.” she smiled at him. She left Barry’s side and her toes reached for the floor. The dusty pink bathrobe that was hung on the back of the bedroom door found its way wrapped around her frame. Iris became slightly worried about who it could be at this hour. She checked her appearance before leaving the room and into the hallway. The eyehole displayed Joe. 

“Dad!” she smiled brightly. 

“Sorry to come unannounced, baby girl.” he greeted once the door opened. He did this a couple times a month. From the station, her apartment was on the way to his house.  

“You know I’m a night owl.” she hugged him tight. She took notice that the clicks of Joe’s work shoes made his presence known. In contrast, a muted pitter-patter came from the fuzzy socks snugged on her feet. She entered her dark kitchen while Joe took a seat on the leather guest club chair. Joe had been against the particular chair due to the stiff seat material. Iris insisted that it would just need some TLC. He figured, at that moment, that she had been right. The arms and back were generously padded. In the kitchen, her eyes found the oven clock displaying 10:06 PM. She flipped the light switch on to a dim setting and walked towards the cabinets by the sink. Retrieving a tall glass cup she ignored the faucet. After reading an article about the unhygienic use of tap water she got her whole family to join the bandwagon of filtered water. 

Joe accepted the glass of water as she sat across from him in the living room. Muted footsteps from the hallway introduced Barry’s sleepy appearance. 

“Iris...?” he mumbled. 

“Barry, hey!” Joe greeted excitedly. She watched Barry try really hard to wave but instead smiled a drowsy smile at Joe. She got up from her place in the couch. 

“I’m right here. C’mon.” she whispered to him. They walked hand in hand back to the couch. Barry sighed at the comfort. He snuggled into her with his head on her lap and she continued to massage his scalp. 

“What’d you do, drug him?” Joe asked half serious, half kidding. 

“He did this to himself. Don’t worry, he will be fine after some sleep.” she assured her father. Joe knew Barry and his sometimes absurd stunts. 

“I gotta tell you something though, Dad.” she started with excited eyes. He allowed her to continue. 

“I plan on going undercover to a drug lab for my next story. There’s a meeting with Captain Singh tomorrow morning along with a few other assigned cops. I hope you can understand why having you a part of this project wouldn’t be wise. I just want your blessing.” she explained to him with warm eyes. Joe’s eyebrows raised in surprise at her words. He knew Iris had a dangerous plan for the next story through word of mouth from the station. It had further worried him that Singh wasn’t yet able to speak on the project with Joe. Nevertheless, he was proud of Iris for forewarning him in advance. He had initially planned to discuss it with her the next day.

“You have my blessing, as much as I want to protect you, Iris. Tell me more about this undercover plan. Who, what, when, where, and why.” he responded reclining back into the cushion. Iris explained that in response to her first article on the issue, she received a lead from a rural teen named Wally. She loved her dad and appreciated him for not making a dramatic scene like he used to when she was younger. Their relationship contained more trust after she moved out of his house a couple of years ago. She smiled to herself knowing she had proved to her dad that she was a mature, responsible, and independent woman. Well, not all the way independent. She had Barry, who had started to snore on her lap, to help take care of her. Iris and Joe chuckled at him.  _ Scratch that thought. We both help take care of each other.  _ Looking down at Barry and then up at her dad, she was sure that Joe wouldn’t let Barry live it down. 

“He might be coming undercover with me too. I was going to ask him tonight but he’s obviously not in the state ” she said using her fingers to pull back the front of his hair which exposed the skin on his forehead. 

“How  _ did  _ he get like this?!” Joe asked Iris, shaking his head in disapproval. 

“He took some experimental sleeping pills.” she explained which was partially true. Joe continued to shake his head. In her mind, she also thought that Barry’s previous physical activity with her in bed probably had a lot to do with his current condition. Before Iris could get a chance to embarrass herself in front of Joe, he was already getting up. 

“Well, make sure you get some rest too. You’ve got some busy days coming ahead of you.” Joe told her before leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek. 

“I will. Goodnight, I love you Dad.” she replied. Once Joe left she continued to toy around with Barry’s messy hair. It was silky soft after his shower earlier that night. Her own eyes started to grow heavy. The urge to retreat back to her bedroom seemed to be much effort. 

 

***

 

“I think we should visit this guy Sal’s laboratory. I got a lead from my previous story. Some rural kid named Wally.” Iris suggested as they left her apartment the next morning. 

“You want to visit an active drug lab, just you and I?” Barry asked wide eyed, unable to believe what he just heard her say so casually. 

“I can show you the emails I had with Singh. I’m not crazy! He thinks it might be a good idea. The objective is to get in without us tampering the scene. I’ll be going as an undercover journalist and you can go as an undercover CSI just in case anything happens. ” she explained. They continued their walk down her apartment building’s hallway until they reached the elevator doors. She clicked the down button before turning her body towards his.  

“I trust you, Iris. I’m just worried that I won’t be able to protect you.” he says looking down at his feet. 

“Barr, I have full confidence that you would protect me if I was helpless. Without a doubt.” she rubs her hands up and down his folded arms. He closes the space between them and rubs his nose against hers. 

“I promise to keep my cover but the moment you’re in danger, it’s off.” he assured her with a serious look in his eyes. The intensity in his stare caused Iris to look away. His scent, a heavenly combo of her lavender body wash and his woodsy smelling shampoo, further overwhelmed her senses. She grabbed the lapels of his jacket. Her love for him also overwhelming. Finally looking up at him she says softly, “I guess I’m OK with that.” 

The ding of the elevator caught their attention. Barry took a hold of her hips and slowly dragged her inside. Once the doors closed, he leaned down to connect their lips. Their lips played together seamlessly during the whole five-story way down. Luckily for them, no one entered. 

 

***

Iris entered CCPN in her long and flowing trench coat causing the journalists to notice her presence. She made a beeline for her desk. The taps of keyboards, papers getting cut out of notebooks, along with clicking pens were music to her ears. 

 

“If it isn’t the party pooper.” Daniel Greg said from behind her. She hadn’t seen him around because of his other recent projects. 

 

“Nice to see you too, Greg.” she said in a dismissive tone. She placed her laptop into the black case. He watched her walk over to retrieve some files from a bin. 

 

“I’m only kidding. Just know that a lot of teenagers are going to hate you.” he commented. Her back was still to him and then she felt her blood boil. 

 

“As a journalist, it really doesn’t concern me that readers will hate me for revealing truth. As an adult, I know the power of this story and I know it can better the lives of said teenagers. I love Central City and its people. So there’s gotta be some tough love.” she whipped around to face him. 

 

“Let’s just hope that it’s well received at CCPD.” he shrugged. 

 

“That’s the thing Daniel, I never have to hope. I plan, I research, I execute. If things fall flat, I have a plan for that too. And besides, I’m sure CCPD will be interested in this one.” she replied ice laced in her tone. 

 

“Woah, calm down there, West. See you around.” he smirked. She frowned at him and he retreated from her space. His probing and uncalled for comments were really starting to get on her nerves. Her phone chimed to display a text from Linda.

 

**Linda** : _ It will be fine. Be safe and try not to get Barry killed lol ;) _

 

Needing to cool down she responded instantly. 

 

**Iris** :  _ Barry will be fine, but Daniel is borderline asking me to kill him at this point….  _

 

**Linda** :  _ Oh gosh. What did he do this time?  _

 

**Iris** :  _ The same usual comments. I’m actually beginning to think that he thinks it’s small talk. _

 

**Linda** :  _ He’s a loser who only got the job because of his dad. Ignore him. _

 

**Iris** : _ I certainly can do that. I gotta go. Meeting Barry at the station.  _

 

**Linda** :  _ OK, but no shenanigans in his office lab. ;)  _

 

**Iris** :  _  LOL STOP!!!  _

 

With her things packed she left CCPN and a blush on her face. 

 

***

 

“First off, I want to say that I appreciate you all being a part of this project. Captain Singh for seeing the merit in my story. And the trusted officers my dad has assigned to also go uncover. Chris Keipler, Marcus Armstrong, Jason Borg, Charles Marrese, and Angelo Martire. Your help is greatly appreciated. We all know how overprotective Joe is,  _ but  _ I think we can all say he has handled this situation pretty well.” the room erupted into a warm laugh. Afterall, she grew up with these officers in her life. Barry watched in awe seated next to Singh. Iris took over the room with confidence and poise. Today she wore some fancy green trousers with a white top tucked in effortlessly. And of course she donned her favorite thin heels. She had left her trenchcoat in his office lab upstairs. The laughter died down and Iris still wore a genuine smile.  

“As a cop’s daughter, the last thing I want to do is paint a negative picture of this department. I merely want to educate our citizens, both young and old, about the prevalent yet hidden drug problem right here in Central City. With the power of journalism and this police force, I definitely think we can do some good. We can’t forget about my incredibly smart boyfriend who agreed to join this project despite the risky nature of it all. Everyone, please give it up for the one and only CSI Barry Allen.” 

All eyes turned over to him with an appreciative applause. Barry blushed and tried to deter the focus off of him. She smiled at him from her place in front of the room. Singh then commanded the officers to meet him in his office. 

Now alone she walked over to him. He smiled at her not moving from his seat. 

“You’re a natural at this.” he told her with huge grin. She matched the grin and replied. 

“Thank-you, Mr. Allen.” she whispered breathlessly. He lightly tugged down on her hand. 

“Mr. Allen?” he questioned eyebrows raised. He then brought her knuckles to his lips. 

“Yes. We’re at work.” she chided him for getting a rise out of her. 

“You introduced me as your boyfriend. They know.” 

“Yes, they do. But we have to be appropriate.” she smiled knowing he could get her to do anything. 

“Kissing in an empty room is appropriate. Anything otherwise would be strange.” he explained like he was an expert on the matter. She hoped she was the only girl he had ever kissed on the job. Suddenly she grew eager to meet his lips. A loud vibrating noise came from his jean pocket. 

“Oop! Gotta get that.” he said with playful eyes. She gave him a cold stare and promised herself she would get him back. 

“You’re right, get that. I’m going to start prepping some leads.” she huffed and stalked off. He grinned at her and pulled his phone out not checking the caller ID. 

“Hello?” he asked more pleasantly than he intended. 

“Barry! You’ve had me worried sick. You haven’t told me how the pills went last night.” Cisco went on frantically. 

“About those pills... I’ve noted that they seem to activate after physical activity. Waking up this morning felt really good though. I meant to email you my notes, but Iris has had me pretty busy.” he smirked as Iris turned to face him at the mention of her name

“What time do you think you fell asleep?” Cisco asked. 

“Hmmm, I’d say almost 11:00PM.” Barry posed.  

“What kind of physical activity were you doing late at night?” Cisco questioned. 

“Iris was teaching me yoga… You know she’s like a pro.” he responded quickly. 

“Yeah and I know how sexually attracted you are to Iris.” Cisco joked on the other end. Barry blushed which went unnoticed to Iris as she seemed to ignore the conversation. He heard Cisco type profusely on a keyboard and then shuffling of some papers. Moments later Iris walked over him with a case file in her hand. 

“You know nothing.” he told Cisco. Iris was now against him, her full chest on his and then she pressed a heated kiss to his neck before biting down hard. He hissed at her ministrations. She got up on her tippy toes to whisper into the receiver.  

“Hey there, Cisco.” she replied smartly. Surprised that she knew, he watched her leave the conference room. 

“Dude, I gotta meet you two as a couple.” Cisco laughed.

“Goodbye Cisco. I’m sending you the email now.” he laughed back to his friend. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a horrible person for not making enough time to write this month. Been very busy with life, work, and school starting next week. This chapter will introduce new characters for the rest of this story. I hope you enjoy!


	7. So Follow Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is part one of a two-part chapter. Cisco makes plans to visit. Joe is at odds with the drug case Iris is working on.

                                                                              

 

 

 **Chapter 7:**  

 

_“Love is supposed to be based on trust, and trust on love, it's something rare and beautiful when people can confide in each other without fearing what the other person will think.”_

_― **E.A. Bucchianeri** , **Brushstrokes of a Gadfly** _

 

Cisco Ramon was in trouble. He looked down to see a text message on his phone screen.   

 

 **Iris** : _You’re not off the hook for convincing Barry to try your experimental sleeping pills._

 

He smirked at the message spread across his phone. Nothing got past Iris, especially when it came to Barry. He had just got off the phone with Barry not too long ago.

 

 **Cisco** : _Don’t worry, you’ll see your favorite person on Friday. I just booked my flight to visit you crazy love birds. Let’s surprise Barry!_

 

 **Iris** : _You mean like a prank?_

 

 **Cisco** : _Yup_

 

 **Iris** : _I have a love/hate relationship with the way you think..._

 

 **Cisco** : _I get that a lot. :D_  

 **Iris** _: I don’t have much time to make an elaborate prank. :( When do you land so I know when to pick you up?_

 

 **Cisco** : _Friday afternoon. Don’t worry, I’ll think about all the details. I’ll fill you in on the drive back._

 

 **Iris** : _Sounds like a plan. See you soon!_

 

*******

 

Iris slipped her phone into the back pocket of her green trousers. She was now upstairs and alone in Barry’s office lab with her journal wide open. Her imagination ran wild in hopes of seeing what madness Cisco would cook up in that crazy head of his. They met during Barry’s freshman year of college. Her winter break had started two weeks before Barry’s did, so she drove down to visit him as a surprise. Walking into their dorm, she couldn’t believe how nerdy the space was. She remembered her weekend at his university was spent watching their favorite documentaries during the day and then she would drag them to college parties at night. They had been roommates all four years and she appreciated how much Cisco made Barry more confident with himself. But sometimes he went overboard. Like getting Barry to try those pills. Suddenly, Iris felt a vibration coming from her phone. She closed her journal.

The caller ID displayed on her screen was unknown. She retrieved her small bag that was placed atop Barry’s desk. She answered the call after finally finding her recorder and turning it on.

 

“Hello, who is this?”

 

“I’m sorry.  It’s me, Wally. I don’t own a cell phone.” he apologized. The smile on her lips faltered. She sympathized with him, however, she couldn’t get herself to yet speak on it.

 

“Are you safe?” she asked instead.

 

“I’m doing fine. I’m calling to know if you’re still going to pursue my lead.” And Iris was very conflicted about him. He sounded pretty young yet particularly mature for his age. The type of maturity from a bad past.

 

“Yes. Thanks to you, I will be pursuing your lead along with the support from the CCPD.” she smiled, grateful.

 

“The CCPD? Ms. West, do you actually trust cops?” she could hear his heated breaths.

“My dad is a cop, Wally. I understand that departments are capable of being corrupt; however, I believe in Central City. You should too.” her hand was now on her hip.  

 

“I don’t know much about the CCPD but I do know that citizens shouldn’t trust cops.” he concluded to her. Apparently, he was just as stubborn as she was. Iris sighed into the phone.

 

“Where are you from?” she asked him.

 

“I’m from Keystone City.” he responded in short.

 

“If you don’t mind me asking, but what made you move to Central City?” she inquired.

 

“I do mind, Ms. West. I--”

 

“Please call me Iris.” she cut off.

 

“Iris, my story is insignificant. I only contacted you because of your last piece. I could see how much you cared about this cause. I want these guys locked up.”

 

“I can assure you that I want them locked up just as much as you do. I’m working with some of my most trusted partners and cops.” she said while fiddling with some of Barry’s pens.

 

“I would feel better if I was a part of the undercover plan.” he said with finality.

 

Iris smiled from her place in Barry’s lab. She wanted to get to know this Wally kid.  

 

“You want in?” she asked.

 

“Definitely.” he responded quickly.

 

“OK, let’s meet today. I would invite you to the station but I have a feeling that you would be adverse to that idea.”

 

“Yes, we can meet. Since I don’t have a phone we need a concrete time and place.

 

“Let’s do Jitters.” she proposed because it was a safe and open location.

 

“Perfect. See you there at noon?” he asked her.

 

“That’s fine. How will I know if I’ve found you?” she asked him.

 

“I’m black and I’ve got pretty big ears. I’m wearing a leather jacket with ,” he answered. A breath later he asked her, “How will I know if I’ve found you?”

 

“That’s a surprise. But I can tell you that my shadow will be there with me.” she smiled into the phone.

 

“Your shadow, what does that mea--”

 

“Bye, Wally. See you at Jitters around noon today.” she said before ending the call. She wanted to save his contact information but then remembered it wasn’t actually his number. Footsteps came from the entryway of the lab.

 

“Barry!” she squealed at the sight of his tall frame.

 

“Iris!” he laughed with her. She ran up to hug him. It always surprised her how much she would have to reach up. After releasing the embrace she reached even higher to meet his red lips.

“Now you want to kiss me?” he joked retracting his head back.

 

“And I see that you still want to play games.” she smirked at him batting her eyelashes playfully. He leaned down towards her lips and she felt her heart speed up in excitement. At the last possible second, he moved his head to the left and decided to kiss right under her earlobe.

 

“We have to follow the rules, you know.” he whispered into her ear. She gripped the sides of his plaid shirt.

 

“I need you to help me with something.” she shifted the conversation. She would get him to break at a later time.

 

“Of course. I aim to please, Iris.” he told her. If it were anyone else, she would have cringed. But Barry was always earnest and genuine despite how he was behaving at the moment. She fixed her posture and tucked a few hairs behind her ear.

“I just spoke with Wally. It was an unknown number because he doesn’t own a phone.”

 

“The guy that gave you the lead? How did he get your number? Are you safe?” Barry asked worriedly. All of his jokes were thrown out the window.

 

“Relax, Bar. I gave him my number when he emailed my work email. I told him that my number would be the next best way to reach me. He hasn’t attempted to call until now.”

 

“What do you think made him call you today?”

 

“He wanted to know if I was still going to follow the lead. When I assured him I would, I mentioned help from the CCPD. Let’s just say he’s very skeptical about this department.”

 

“Do you think you can trust him?”

“My instincts are telling me to trust him, but I just want to track him down. I have to be smart about this. We’re meeting up for the first time around noon at Jitters today.”

 

“You’re meeting him? I should come with you.” he told her.

 

Her heart fluttered in response to his nurturing protectiveness. She found herself just nodding.

 

“Here’s the number he called me with.” she finally said, giving him her phone. Their fingertips brushed against each other emitting sparks of electricity. She noticed Barry’s blush and knew she had the same look to her face. After taking a seat in the chair, he typed some codes into his computer and looked for the number.  The location was pinned within seconds.  

 

“There.” they said at the same time pointing at the screen.

 

“He’s not too far. Thorn Hill Boulevard is about 45 minutes from the station.” Iris surmised as she pierced her gaze at the computer screen. She continued to keep her eyes focused and Barry gave her a moment to absorb the info. He inhaled her lavender scent as he kissed the underside of her chin. She shuddered at the contact. He smiled at the goosebumps. Little did she know that her journalistic side turned him on.

“If you think you can trust him, I have to believe you,” he spoke against her. His hazel eyes then found hers. “But I’m still coming with you.”

 

“I understand. Honestly, I want you there.” If the roles were reversed and he was about to do something dangerous or risky, she would insist on joining him. She leaned down to press her lips to his. Finally. The kiss was warm and promising. She then straightened her posture upright with her hands atop his broad shoulders.

“You’re distracting me, woman!” he laughed. She whacked his shoulder with a swift slap.

“Ow!” he gasped.

“Back to work, Allen.” she smirked at him before skipping out of the office lab.

 

*******

 

It was shortly after Iris left that he heard Joe walk in. He looked up from his laptop screen to smile at Joe.

“Hey.” he greeted him. Joe wore his usual work attire. Barry always felt that he looked way too casual standing next to him.

 

“Oh, so you can say hi to me now.” Joe laughed at Barry causing Barry to blush. He was never going to live those pills down.

 

“Look, I was trying to help Cisco.”

 

“That was your first mistake. Cisco is one crazy kid. Brilliant, but crazy.”  Joe shook his head.

 

“Look, I know that more than anyone. But it’s OK. I know he wouldn’t tell me to do anything just downright harmful.” Barry assured Joe.

 

“If you say so, kid. I actually came down here to get some updates on Iris’s story.” Joe concluded taking a seat in one of the chairs. He crossed his legs together, a nervous trait of his.

 

“Why don’t _you_ just ask Iris ?” Barry asked.

“She can get really sensitive about her work. You know how important it is to her. I don’t want her to think that I don’t trust and believe in her.” Barry watched as Joe then shot up from his seat from the chair.  

 

“Well, do you?” Barry asked bouncing his pen against his open notebook filled with notes. His eyes followed Joe back and forth.

 

“Do I what?” Joe asked pacing.

 

“Do you trust and believe in her.” Barry asked more clearly slightly nodding his head.

 

“Yes, I do. She’s my daughter. As much as I want to keep silent and watch from afar, I just can’t get myself to do it.” He explained finally standing still as his eyes grew somber.

“I think you should talk to her about this case. She would appreciate your concern. Just don’t smother her.” Barry tried to be comforting.

 

“It sucks because I know you’re right. Who would’ve thought!” Joe’s cheeks raised in laughter. Barry, in turn, smiled back at him. Joe had never been the type to sit and sulk.

 

“Woah, I’m always right,” he placed his right hand on his chest in offense. “But seriously, just talk to her. You can’t continue to pretend that everything is OK if you don’t feel that way.”

 

“Yeah, the number one thing Iris hates is---”

 

“Lying and liars.” the ended off together with smirks.

 

“I miss you Bar. Iris has stolen you away from me.” Joe said with a wide grin.

 

“I’ll try to keep you into my schedule, you know I’m not usually like this when in a relationship.”

 

“Yeah, that’s because this relationship is  **_it_ ** for the two of you. I understand, I really do. I guess we’re all just adjusting. But maybe we can get lunch today…?”

 

Barry shook his head side to side in remorseful guilt.

 

“Forget you too, Barry.” Joe laughed waving his hand in disapproval. Barry laughed at Joe’s antics.

 

“I can tell you this though, Iris and I are visiting the person that gave her the lead. Noon today at Jitters. His name is Wally.”

“Yeah, you see... news like that makes me very nervous. But you being there calms my nerves.” Joe released a deep sigh.

 

“Breathe, Joe. Don’t forget to breathe.” Barry smiled at him.

 

“Goodbye, Barry.” Joe said in an irritated tone.

 

“Wait, so how about lunch next week?” Barry yelled and he eventually got his answer from the shaking of Joe’s head as he walked out of the lab.  Barry smirked as he returned his attention back to his notes. He would have to definitely make more time to spend to with Joe.  

 

*******

 

It was now 11:00 am and Barry went to go find Iris. He scanned the first floor as he descended the long stair case. The department was especially busy around lunch hour. He eventually spotted the top of her head. She was talking to Charles Marrese as he made his way through the crowd. Someone bumped into him. The rigid posture proved to be Captain Singh.

 

“Allen. Have you contributed to this case yet?”

 

“Yes, actually we’re about to meet up with the guy responsible for the lead.” Barry said.

“Well, get to it then.” he gruffed and continued his walk towards his office. Barry noticed he was holding a bag from a nearby burger joint. It was evident he would be eating alone. There had to be a reason why he so rough with Barry. In that moment, Barry felt sorry for the Captain. He was a lonely man.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part one of a two-part chapter. A lot is going on in my personal life, but I still love writing this story. Season 3 has been a West-Allen blessing. Leave a comment about this chapter and let me know your thoughts about the season thus far. Thanks for reading!


	8. No One Else Can Feel it For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> West-Allen meet up with Wally for the first time. What will this mean for the undercover investigation? Most importantly, is there more at stake?

 

                    

 

 **Chapter 8:** **_No One Else Can Feel it for You_ **

 

 

 

  
_ "The way to love someone is to lightly run your finger over that person’s soul until you find a crack - and then gently pour your love into that crack." -  _ Keith Miller

* * *

 

The cold fall day was silenced upon the closure of the glass doors as Barry and Iris walked into Jitters. The clicks of her shoes surfaced the cafe floors. Barry noticed that his hands were mysteriously moist. Except, he wasn’t sweating. Iris released a deep breath as she looked around. The familiar scent of coffee beans and pastries filled her nostrils. It was pretty packed due to the lunch hour. It seemed like a lifetime ago when he would visit Iris here during her shifts as a barista. He looked down to see the wrinkles deepening between her eyebrows.

“What if he changed his mind?” Iris voiced aloud, her eyes scanning the room.

“Let’s get some coffee first. I’m sure he is keeping an eye out for you.” Barry replied. When Iris didn’t budge he gently tugged her hand towards the cashier line. His hands slipped from hers too easily.

“It’s OK to be nervous, Iris.”

“I’m fine.” she promised. “You should get in line and I’ll keep looking.”

He agreed before leaning down to press his lips to her soft cheek. Her skin was cold from the weather outside. The line had progressed with only a few people left. He got behind a young man wearing a leather jacket. Barry smiled to himself. He had never been the leather jacket type. It looked ridiculous on him. Later, he then thought tea was probably better for Iris. She was already hyped up with anxiety. Suddenly, someone said his name.

“Hey there, Barry. Where’s your shadow?” Linda asked from behind the counter. She was packing some pastries from the window display into small brown bags. He laughed. The leather jacket man in front of him had now turned around, suspicion in his deep brown eyes. The guy’s stare was unsettling. It eerily reminded him of someone.

“Iris is here, somewhere. We’re meeting someone and she is looking for him.” he responded to Linda.

“How risque! Do you need help looking?” Linda asked eagerly. She placed the man’s cup of coffee down onto the counter. “Your total is $8.57, sir.” she told the leather jacket man.

“I mean, I don’t know how he looks like but his name is----”

“His name is Wally.” the leather jacket man said fully turning around with his coffee and brown paper bag in hand.

“Barry, I can’t find Wally.” Iris said coming from out of nowhere.

“Iris...?” Wally asked.

And Barry couldn’t believe his eyes. The two looked closely related.

* * *

“Wally?” Iris asked. She could feel Barry’s intense stare.

“Nice to meet you.” Wally said. She nodded and an awkward beat followed.

“I’m sorry! This is my boyfriend, CSI Barry Allen.” she introduced.

“Your shadow?” he asked.

“It’s just a silly title.” Barry replied sticking his hand out. Wally smiled and shook Barry’s hand.

“There’s an empty table right over there. Do you guys want to reserve it while I make our order?” Barry suggested. Heat traveled throughout her body in panic. Before she knew it, Wally was already agreeing with the suggestion.

“Don’t be long.” she murmured under her breath to Barry as he pecked her cheek. He gave her a silent nod. Iris then turned around and walked away with Wally.

“Thank-you again for agreeing to meet up with me.” she started the conversation as they walked to the table towards the far end.

“Absolutely. I really want to be a part of this.” he said before taking a sip of his coffee.

As they took their respective seats she tucked a piece of her wavy hair behind her ear. She couldn’t tear her eyes off of him. Something about him was familiar in a way.

“Do you have any experience with undercover work?” she inquired.

“Officially? No. But I’ve done some stuff.” he replied.

“So you’re from Keystone City. I know a few reporters over there.” she said trying to lead the conversation.

“Yup. My mom passed away some time ago. She was the only family I had. After her funeral, I decided I needed to leave or else I would follow the same path.” he looked down at the wooden table.

“Hey, it’s OK. I think that’s admirable.” she said reaching her hand out to comfort him.

“I never knew my mother. My dad said she left before I turned six. My memories of her are vague. She wasn't ever really around that much.” Iris sympathized.

“Well, at least you have a father.” he sulked, a defeated shrug on his shoulders. And Iris couldn’t argue with that. Her father was the best.

“I can’t help but feel surprised that you’re being so candid with me.” she admitted.

“I guess I just have a feeling that I can trust you.” he replied with a small smile.

“You can.” Iris said earnestly. Just then Barry appeared. He placed two hot cups down and took a seat next to Iris. She eagerly took the cup with her name on it.

Her eyebrows raised when she realized the drink was green tea, with lemon and honey. It instantly calmed her nerves. She gave Barry’s thigh a small squeeze in appreciation.

“Tell me everything you know about the meth lab.” she continued.

“It’s pretty popular. He doesn’t only sell meth. It’s everything. He has connections all over the city.”

“And how do you know this?” Iris asked before Barry got the chance too.

“I didn’t tell you this before but Jackie Daniels was my girlfriend. It was a secret because she didn’t want her parents to think I was influencing her to do drugs. I’ve never touched a drug in my life. Her parents hated all of her friends.”

“I’m sorry you lost her.” Iris said. This guy had a tough life.

“What’s sad is that she was getting better. She really was. But then Sal kept harassing her to buy more. She gave in and I guess her body couldn’t handle the abuse any longer.” he lamented.

“This Sal guy sickens me. Going after young kids,” she paused to shake her head in disgust. “I promise that we are going to get him. He’ll be behind bars for as long as we can hold him.” she looked over at Barry who looked completely worried. He draped his arm over her shoulders in support.

“I need you to cooperate with the cops in this investigation, Wally. Absolutely no disrespect to Barry or anyone else on the undercover team.”

“I promise.”

“I know Jackie is up there right now and she is proud that you’re helping to put a stop to this.” she told him. She wanted to help Wally.

“We’ve got to head back to the station soon. I was able to get this for you.” she said picking up a brand new cellphone from her suede handbag.

“Iris. You don’t have to do this.” he shook his head, refusing to accept the gift.

“I do. You’re now a part of this investigation. Communication is key.” she insisted sliding the phone closer to his closed hands. Wally wiped his fingers on some white napkins. 

“We are going to formulate a plan with Captain Singh. His schedule is pretty busy for the rest of today so I think it’s better for you to visit tomorrow morning.” Barry spoke for the first time. He eyed the used paper napkin. 

Wally nodded and finally took the phone.

“It was nice meeting you, Wally. You have my number. I will update you tonight.”

“See you soon.” Barry said to Wally. He picked up his napkins along with the napkin Wally had used before grabbing a hold of her hand. The napkin was stealthy put into his back pocket along with his wallet. It was freaky how much they looked alike. He wondered if Iris thought the same.

 

* * *

 

 

“That went well.” Barry said to her. They were now back in his lab. She had been pretty silent the entire walk back to the station. Her hands never left his.

“I agree. I think he is going to be a great asset. He’s got connections.” she replied playing with the collars of his jacket.

“Are you alright?” Barry asked cradling the side of her face with his hand. Something seemed off with her.

“Ugh. I don’t know Barry. I just feel connected to him in some way. I must be going crazy.” she said finally locking her chocolate brown eyes with his hazel green ones.

“You’re not crazy. We can talk about it tonight.” he said nuzzling his nose with hers.

 

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was pretty short, I know. I plan to update once a week whilst I'm on my winter break! Won't be resuming classes at college/university until January. Please leave a comment below as to what you think will happen? Reviews help me a lot. Enjoy!


	9. The Sound of a Second Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the annual CCPN Ceremony date nears closer, Iris and Barry deal with even more drama. Enjoy!

**Chapter 9: The Sound of a Second Chance**

                                      

 

 _“There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.”_ -Nietzsche

 

*******

Iris exhaled out in relief. The walk to CCPN provided time to clear her thoughts, even if the soles of her feet ached with each step. The beautiful night skyline just before dusk calmed her mind. So much had happened in the span of one day. Most importantly, she finally met the ever mysterious Wally. Only to find herself speculating the weird connection. Her gloved hands opened the doors of Picture News. A home away from home. A smile graced her lips as she observed her fellow co-workers. The familiar buzz of the day had died down quite a bit, as suspected. Most journalists had ended their day, leaving about five to ten people left. A low murmur was still present along with the slow clicks of their keyboards. She could see the annual ceremony reminder pinned on the news board, causing her heart to jump out of her body. The November 10th date was approaching closer and closer. Barry in his suit flashed across her mind. The vivid image making her smile mischievously. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught specs of red. Her eyes focused as the image grew clearer. He stood there at her desk, a bouquet of roses in hand. And she couldn’t believe her eyes as heat boiled in her veins. _Who does he think he is?_ She looked around the office to already find a few eyes on her.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she whispered, her eyes doubled in size. She practically speed-walked over to him.

“I came to surprise you.” Cameron explained with a simple shrug. He then tried to hand the flowers.

“We’ve broken up.” she crossed her arms together.

“I visited your apartment first. I knew this would be the next best place to find you.” his attention now on the wandering suspicion.

“Unbelievable.” she scolded as she ushered him closer to her desk and away from prying eyes.

“I want you to know that my time in Tokyo taught me a great deal.”

She really couldn’t believe he was here in the flesh. Her eyes traveled over his face. His brown skin looked the same. Barry’s skin was so sensitive. He could sit out for an hour or two and be sunburnt. In fact, the only thing noticeably different about Cameron was that he grew out his beard. Yet calling that a change was even a stretch.

“Last I remember, Tokyo was more important than our relationship. You broke up with _me_ , remember?” she replied.

“I was foolish. If you give me a second chance I hope we can be happy again.”

“You’re too late. I’m with Barry now and I’ve never been happier.”

“Really?” he asked reproachfully.

“I love Barry, always have.”

“Can’t say I’m surprised. The years we were together, always thought your friendship with him was questionable.” the frown lines developing in his forehead.

“Did you come here to insult me?” she placed her hand on her hip.

“I’m sorry,” he looked down at his feet, “guess now I’m asking if we can be friends.”

Cameron had never been the shy type. Yet, right now he looked like a sad puppy. The flowers were hung down to his thigh.

“That’s entirely up to you. You weren’t ever exactly supportive.”

“Look, I know I didn’t always appreciate you. I’m here right now to tell you that I’m a changed man.” he inched closer.

“That’s for me to decide. I have so much on my plate right now.”

“So that’s it?” he asked with hard eyes. She could feel the heat radiate from him.

“I need time to think about this, Cameron. Please go.” she stepped back giving him the space to leave. He placed the bouquet atop the desk without another word and left.

*******

Back at the station, Barry placed the small DNA sample into the amplifier machine. He and Joe had visited a crime scene after lunch. As per usual, he collected various DNA samples to potentially create more suspects. He couldn’t shake the incessant nagging to test whether or not Wally and Iris were related. _That’s crossing too many lines._ He then remembered the conversation he had with Joe earlier.

 _“You never heard from Francine after she left, right?”_ Barry asked as he and Joe left the scene. His work case strapped on his lean shoulder.

 _“Uhhh, why the sudden interest?”_ Joe inquired with a raised brow. They continued their walk to Joe’s car.

 _“I was just thinking about our families, that’s all. You did shelter Iris away from it all and I know for good reason. ”_ he tread lightly.

 _“Well, yes. I cut off contact with her. Francine chose her addiction over our family. Iris didn’t need that confusion in her life,”_ Joe said confirming Barry’s hunch, _“but how did the meeting go with Wally?”_ Joe asked hopefully. Barry coughed in anxiety.

 _“Uhhh… It was good. We can trust him.”_ he said deciding not to divulge too much. At the last minute, he told Joe he needed to check the scene again. He had actually needed to call Linda for a favor. She was more than eager to help. Thankfully, Wally had thrown out his coffee at Jitters.

 _“Would it be too much to ask if you collected the coffee cup from Wally’s order?”_ he asked with a cringe on his face.

 _“You want me to dig through trash? Only because Iris loves you. You’re lucky I wrote down his name on the cup.”_ she sighed into the phone.

 _“Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you. I will make it up to you. I’m on my way to pick it up. Thank-you.”_ Barry smiled.

_“Wait, shouldn’t I ask why I’m doing this?”_

_“Oh, yeah. OK, well I’m testing to see if Wally and Iris are related. She can’t know until I tell her tonight.”_  he explained.

 _“You’re doing this behind her back?!”_ Linda asked with exasperation.  

 _“Technically.”_ he replied. Linda continued to list off a few curse words.

Now he was sat in his lab with Wally’s cup sealed in a plastic bag. He eventually found a strand of Iris’ hair from one her cardigans that she left behind. _Here’s what I will do, I will run the test but not look at the results until she gives me permission_ he rationalized. He wrapped his hands in plastic gloves and unsealed the bag.

* * *

Iris checked her phone again for the third time. _Where is Barry?_ She asked herself. The bubbles in the porcelain tub were fun at first, but now she wanted to share it with her boyfriend. She ran the loofah up her arm then down to the sides of her thighs. Finally, she heard a symphony of keys opening the apartment. _Barry,_ she sang in her head. Her insides warmed.

“Iris?” he yelled from the living room. She heard his footsteps approaching.

“Here, babe.” she replied back. After making his way down the hallway, he opened the bathroom door.

“You’re taking a bath.” he whispered, stating the obvious. He looked just as tired as she did.

“You’re so observant,” she giggled. “C’mon, join me. I missed you.” she crooked her index finger repeatedly. He didn’t need to be told twice. She laid back against the tub, her eyes following him as he slowly undressed. His movements shaky and excited. First to go was his top further messing up his hair. His long abdomen made the first appearance and she licked her lips in anticipation. The tops of his boxers peaked through as he unzipped his jeans. He was so long, _everywhere_. Finally he was naked. Well, safe for his grey socks.

“Uh-uh.” she halted him pointing at his feet.

“Sorry.” he laughed taking the socks off as well.

* * *

 

Barry stepped into the tub as graciously as he could. When both of his feet were planted, he leaned back against the tub as Iris used his abdomen to rest on. Her soft skin instantly calmed his nerves. She grabbed both of his hands off from the edge of the tub moving them to the sides of her waist instead. She too relaxed with his touch. He kissed the edge of ear, the only part of her that wasn’t coated with soap and water.

“Barry…” she sighed more to herself. A helpless plea and he hadn’t yet done anything. He felt her tug his hands down closer to her warm center. He slowly traced his nimble fingers along, before slipping both his index and middle finger inside of her, only to find that she was already wet. She surged up in the air, the bubbles following.

“Baby, relax.” he whispered and she settled back down with soft moans. He curved his index finger until finding her clit. She gripped his wrists as her moans grew louder within the four walls of the bathroom.

“So good.” her insides constricting more on his fingers. He released a breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding. The breath falling on the back of her neck. All of a sudden, she moved his hands away. She then gripped the edges of the tub and turned around to face him head on, straddling his lap. They both could feel his desire now at full attention underneath the bubbles. Her breasts were also now exposed to him and she neared closer until the tips of her nipples met his lips. They were rigid peaks practically begging for his attention.

“I want you everywhere.” she admitted as the swish of the water tamed down.

“Good thing I’m here.” he spoke against the skin of her breasts, looking up at her. She had her hair in a high bun showcasing all her beautiful features. She let out a harsh sigh as his lips met her nipples. He sucked one fully into his mouth. Her skin tasted like soap and water on his tongue. Her wet hands gripped the back of his dry hair. He tensed at the wet sensation before returning his attention to the task at hand. Her hips began to grind against his lap in almost a dance-like trance. His hands descended into the water to grip her waist again, bringing her even closer. His dick now fully pressed on the expanse of her lower stomach. She worked herself up slightly higher until the bulbous tip met her sensitive flesh. Her small hands clung to his shoulder blades. When he felt himself entering her slick heat, he released her left breast from his mouth.  

* * *

 

“Iris.” he uttered slowly as she began to work him fully into her body. He was rendered speechless. She leaned down to bring his lips to hers. Gaining each inch with delicious precision, she finally got him completely inside, her breath caught in her throat. Skin to skin, he reveled in how close they were. The bubbles causing a slip and slide motion against each other. They shared a desperate kiss as his hands worked up and down her back. She let go of his lips too soon for his liking. Her breasts were now rubbing against his chest in time with her slow thrusts.

“Are you comfortable?” she asked him out of nowhere.

“Huh?” he asked blinking his eyes.

“Are. You. Comfortable? I forgot how tall you are.” she explained running her fingers through his auburn hair. His knees were hiked up awkwardly to fit them both.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m more than comfortable.” he replied trying to catch her lips with his. She giggled and continued moving. They didn’t speak another word until he felt her tighten around his hard member. The water providing a different sensation. She released a deep moan until the pleasurable waves ceased. She felt eternally weightless. He followed her soon after. Their first time having sex in water. _Definitely an experience_ , he smiled to himself.

“Mhmm, we should do this more often. Clean up right after without taking a step.” she laughed against his shoulder. His breaths began to calm with the currents of the bath. The soft kiss of her finger-tips drew lazy hearts against his back. The touch bringing him back to reality.

“I gotta tell you something.” she murmured.

“Yeah? I gotta tell you something too.” he replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“OK, me first. Cameron showed up at my desk today.” she said bluntly.

“He what? What did he want?” Barry asked.

“Another shot at a relationship with me. Don’t worry I shut him down.” she explained.

“How do you feel about it?” he asked trying to gauge her emotions.

“I was uncomfortable. He looked remorseful so maybe a friendship with him wouldn’t be so bad… ? Penny for your thoughts?” she drifted her gaze to his.

“Honestly, I’m not all that comfortable with it either. I can’t believe he showed up at your job.” Barry confessed shaking his head, eyebrows raised.

“He said he visited my apartment first and I obviously wasn’t here. Remind me to change my locks.” she shuddered.

“Speaking of locks.” he decided now was the best time to bring it up. Iris looked up at him quizzically.

“Why don’t we move in together?” he proposed linking their hands.

“Barry.” she said as her brown eyes flashed with surprise.

“Just thought I should speak it into existence. There’s no rush. But, it would be nice for us to have one place, you know? Save energy, time, and we could spend more time together - that is if you want to spend more time with me.” he rambled on. She cut him off as she fused her plump lips with his.

“I would love for us to live together.” she smiled biting her bottom lip. They hadn’t lived together since they met as kids. Barry briefly lived with her family before his grandmother eventually took him in. Then, his grandmother moved closer to the school district allowing him and Iris to build their inseparable friendship.

“I have something else to tell you.” Barry said as his face grew somber.

“You’re full of surprises tonight.” Iris smirked until she caught the look on his face.

“You may be furious with me. And you have every right to be. But I need to tell you.” he started. She looked at him worriedly. _Did he cheat on me_?

“I collected Wally’s DNA and had it tested. I had a hunch that you two were related and I couldn’t stop my curiosity. So, I tested it but I didn’t look at the results.” he explained. She didn’t respond at first. Her chocolate brown eyes blinked back at him in complete shock. Only the sound of the still water reaching their ears.

“I can’t believe you,” she said in a small voice, “so it’s OK to get his DNA in order to ease your hunch, but looking at the results is taking it _too_ far?” she asked sarcastically, hurt behind her eyes.

“Iris, I’m sorry. I thought you deserved to know the truth.”

“The truth? I didn’t ask you to do this. You completely exiled me from making a choice. And you knew I felt weird today after meeting him, yet you still went and did this behind my back.”

“You’re completely right. I’m so sorry. It was selfish and inconsiderate. I can throw away the results tomorrow.” he promised begging her to forgive him. The once peaceful environment had turned icy.

“Hell no. I have to know, now that you’ve forced me to face this.” she snapped with furrowed brows. He didn’t know what to say. After awhile she asked, “When are the results ready?”

“They should be done by now.” he replied.

“OK. Let’s go.” she stated ascending from the tub.

“Go?” he asked dumbfounded. She was now completely upright. Her naked form making its first appearance to his eyes that night.

“I need to know.” she looked at him with a hard glare, completely unaffected by his surprised face. Still, she extended her hand out to help him out of the tub. Maybe he could still fix this.

*******

The lab gave off a mysteriously eerie ambiance when in the dark. The only light shining through was from his massive windows. Iris tried to keep calm when Barry finally flicked the lights back on. They were both in their pajamas. She couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. As kids they had tons of adventures at night. All they had needed was a flashlight and their imagination. But now it was actually happening. Her mind traveled a million directions. _Did Dad know all along? Why would he keep this from me? How do I talk about this with him. How the hell am I supposed to tell Wally that he has a family?_

“Iris, I’m so sorry. We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” Barry apologized for the hundredth time. His voice brought her back to the present moment.

“I want to see the results, please.” she ignored him. And he sighed apologetically.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters 6 through 9 consist as a whole day. I decided to split these chapters into three parts because of the heavy context. The next chapter will be a different day. Trying to keep up with weekly posts. I hope to see some comments. <3


	10. A Curious Thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris learns that changes aren't always meant to be feared.

**Chapter 10:** A Curious Thing

                

**_“If it can be broken, it means it can still work.”_ **

 

_“You have to talk to me.” Barry begged once they arrived back to her apartment door from his lab. Her phone read read 10:55pm. She hadn’t said one word to him after getting the results._

_“I think it’s best if you leave. You should stay at your place tonight.” she softly replied finally making direct eye contact with him. A sad inquiry seemed to dwell in her gaze. Yet, she could visibly see the guilted pain wash over his pale face. He didn’t know what to say to her suggestion for some time. They stood at her front door in silence. A heavy oppression seemed to brood upon the air._ _He then nodded, gloom overcame him._

_“I’m so sorry. I love you, Iris.” he whispered, his voice haunting to her ears. His lips cold, leaned to press a soft kiss to her forehead. She heard him retrieve keys from his pajama pockets. Her eyes remained trained on the doorknob as a great pang gripped her heart tightly._

The plush mat supported the pressure gravity placed on her wrists as she held a downward-dog pose. The pose stretched the backs of her thighs and ankles. A few steady beats later, she breathed inward to steady her heart as she transitioned into Cobra’s pose. Finally, Iris allowed herself to release an exhale as her neck extended to the apartment ceiling. She purposefully exaggerated her breathing to feel the stretch on her abdomen and arms. It wasn’t long until she finally moved to Chaturanga Dandasana. Her brewing anger helped to hold the position for longer than usual. She ended the thirty minute session with Vajra pose. Sat on the heels of her feet with her palms rested on her thighs, Iris contemplated the current dilemmas of her life. It had now been three long and full days. Monotonous and colorless. Seventy-two hours of curious and inexplicable uneasiness.

Wally was her _brother_ . In vexation, the news fretted her so much so that a few co-workers asked if she was alright. She kept herself isolated both from Barry’s compunction and her Dad’s heedfulness in order to allow herself to fully actualize the shocking news. It was becoming increasingly harder to control the swamping guilt whenever she contacted Wally. Evidently, finding the perfect moment to inform him that they were actually related proved to be harder than she cared to admit. Iris desired nothing more than to open her arms in love; but then she feared he would feel just as betrayed as she felt. She began to think they had been cheated a fair chance. It was strange. She had always labeled herself as an only child. She didn’t have the slightest idea on how to be an older sister, especially not in this circumstance. Certainly, Wally needed his family. But it was different now. He was much older now. No longer naive as a kid and this situation hardly resembled the typical family upbringing. Their mother passed away and Iris had never known the woman. But to Wally, that was the only family he had ever known. Family was supposed to be those whom you didn’t choose. They were chosen for you. Family was supposed to be the people you love because you’re supposed to have known them your whole life. She’d only known Wally for a few weeks. Then a new doubt assailed her conscious. Was it too hopeful to believe he would be rushing to join her and Joe as a family? She opened her eyes after releasing a slow breath. _No more second thoughts._ Her gaze landed straight ahead to the bedroom door. She slowly got herself standing upright. _I’m telling Wally the truth and I’m doing it today._ She firmly decided while entranced by the ceaselessly fleeting morning sky. Seventy-two hours of self inflicted torture was more than she could handle. A few tears came to soften her seared vision.

 *******  

A painful thought was flooding his mind. All entirely due to the fact that he hadn’t seen his girlfriend in three whole days. He kept himself busy working on even more detailed evidence reports, as it gave his mind much needed relief. Iris transported all of her work back to CCPN while having night meetings at the station. He remembered catching a brief glimpse of the back of her head while he was leaving to visit an emergency on-call duty. She had been with Wally at the time and he decided not to make his presence known. The last he saw her face was the night when everything fell apart. A river of shame swept over him. _Will I ever be able to gain her trust again?_ The image of her broken and distrustful eyes haunted his long nights. As such, he carried dark bags underneath his eyes. Barry compulsively tried to keep conversations light with Joe as much as possible. This had been particularly easy to do because Joe remained the same joyful and stern man.

And he didn’t know how to respond to the apprehensive solicitude looming in the air about their future together along with the future of the West family. The deep shame and rankling remorse residing in the pit of his stomach had unfortunately become all too familiar. Today he was scheduled for an autopsy visit from the latest emergency on call duty. He was waiting on Joe in his lab. The man would appear within the next five minutes most likely. He peered down at their messages from earlier in the morning to either reassure or torture himself, at this point he could no longer tell. Her usual vibrant messages now responded to his texts with emotionless abandon.

 

 **Barry** : You have no idea how guilty I feel. I would do anything to make this better. Just talk to me. I love you.

 **Iris** : OK. 

 **Barry** : How are you feeling? Do you need me to do anything?

 **Iris** : No, I’m fine.

 **Barry** : When can I see you again? I miss you. I love you.

 **Iris** : Barry, I don’t know…

 

The messages ended there as he was afraid of pushing her to the brink of no return. But now, hours later, he was buried deep in the quicksands of tormenting desolation. His vision blurred into the screen of his phone until the messages evaporated into black. He then darted his eyes to the top of his desk. An envelope with “reminder” sprawled on a sticky-note caught his attention. _Must have been delivered late,_ he thought. He dropped his phone into the confines of his lap and ripped open the envelope to express some of his anger. His nimble fingers making the task easier.  

 

**CSI Forensic Scientist Bartholomew Henry Allen**

**Central City Police Department**

 

 **Forensic Photography** :

 **This 40-hour course addresses extensive concepts in forensic photography and its application to the professional documentation of crime scenes and laboratory evidence. This course is designed for crime scene investigators and lab personnel who have comprehensive knowledge of a DSLR camera and want to increase their confidence.** **The objective of this course is to reinforce CSI agents to the practical issues and methods specific as they relate to photography and the capture of digital photographic evidence to better convey the details of a laboratory analysis or to present in court. Through lectures and hands-on activities, agents will keep up to date on how to utilize the essential functions of a digital camera. Some of the topics that will be covered in the course include using the camera in manual modes, exposure triangle, minimizing distortions, principals of light, an explanation of 18-percent gray and the factors that impact depth of field, photographing crime scenes and crime scene evidence. Agents should come to class with a DSLR camera and tripod.**

 

He wanted to punch himself for being so heedless. In between cases, autopsy visits, and semi-regular testifying in court, it completely slipped his mind. Not to mention, his personal life. He had initially signed up at the beginning of the year as a testament to his new year's resolution to be more proactive with every aspect of his career. The course would be taken place in Texas during the weekend. The envelope also contained his plane tickets. Naturally, his thoughts crept back to Iris. He needed to tell her and definitely not over text.

 

 **Barry** : You’re the most important person in my life. I hope we can talk today. I love you.

 

“It’s time, let’s go.” Joe said from the front entrance of the lab. He shoved the folded letter into his bag and followed after Detective West.  

*******

The hustle and bustle of Picture News was the sole reason Iris was able to function. It provided distraction from an internal sense of impending doom. Her phone chimed with texts from Barry filling her heart with a confusing taste of unconditional love mixed with bleak melancholy. It hurt to know how broken he must have felt too. But she refused to dwell on that too heavily. Afterall, he caused it. She was in the process of  reading an old article on her laptop about undercover agents while simultaneously hypothesizing potential story names for her own unfinished article. Her brain needed more and more stimulation to keep herself staying afloat. Uncoincidentally, her coffee intake had also went through the roof. She went in for another sip of her coffee only to find the cup completely empty. A trip to Jitters was needed. She closed her laptop and placed it into her huge leather bucket bag then donned her beige trenchcoat. As she walked out the doors, she noticed Cameron walking in.

“Just the person I was looking for.” Cameron smiled at her. Apparently, three days was enough time to give someone to think. The truth was that Cameron hadn’t crossed her mind since the night she told Barry. His brown eyes looked well rested. The same couldn’t be said for hers. He was dressed down in dark faded jeans and a green sweater underneath a jean jacket. She remembered those jeans. He knew how much she liked them on him. It fit his muscular frame just right.

“Oh, hey?” she asked, her eyes surprised. It still shook her core to see him around so casually. The light rustle of the wind was felt in the tresses of her hair.

“Are you busy?” he replied visibly taking in her attire from top to bottom. She felt uncomfortable underneath his gaze because it made her hyper-aware of her own appearance. The fall dress had caught her eye that morning. She wore knee high socks with her favorite tan boots. The outfit boosted her confidence and she could admit that she did look good. Nevertheless, she had a boyfriend now and it was no longer Cameron.

“Um. Yeah, no, I was just on my way to Jitters.” she explained tucking in a strand of brown hair behind her ears.

“Mind if I join?” he asked with a raised brow.

“I guess not.” she shrugged. They both started the walk in the direction to the coffee shop.

“I can’t help but notice that you seem pretty gloomy today, Iris.” Cameron inspected after walking in silence for awhile.

“ _Today_?” she quietly laughed to herself. She didn’t want to look at him so she watched her feet switch back and forth with each step.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been like this for days.” he pleaded. When she didn’t respond he got his answer. They remained silent even as they reached the cafe.

“It’s time to talk.” he demanded before taking a sip of his coffee once they were both settled at a table. She shivered as the memories flashed across her mind.

“This is going to sound crazy, but I have a brother.” she admitted bluntly. Today was all about evading second thoughts. He coughed in surprise as he placed his coffee back down.

“Well, who is it?” he asked.

“His name is Wally and he’s from Keystone City. We met because we’re working together for an undercover case.” she decided to oversimplify.

“This is good news, no?” Cameron asked.

“No, yeah I guess it is good news. I’m the only one that knows we’re related right now. But, I’m telling Wally today.” she said deciding to omit Barry from the mess.

“So did Joe have a secret affair, or….? How did you figure this out?”

“Umm, yeah that’s not important. I _can_ say, though, that there was no affair.” she nervously laughed looking away. Cameron decided to not push any further.

“When will you tell your dad? What about your mother?”

“Hopefully, I can introduce Wally to Dad this weekend. Wally says that our mother passed away just recently. I think she left my Dad while pregnant. Maybe she wasn’t aware at the time.”

“Wow, that sure is crazy. I think this might be a positive change.”  

“Yes, it is. Joe’s always wanted a son. But, I’m a little afraid my family won’t ever be the same. Actually I’m a lot afraid. What if Wally doesn’t want any part with me and Joe? I know that that would break his heart.” she sighed looking down at her hands. She’d yet to take a sip of the coffee she ordered.  

“Listen, you and Joe are the strongest family I’ve seen. I’m sure this Wally kid would be more than grateful to be apart of it. And if not, you’ve got Joe, your boyfriend, and you’ve got me to help you through it. This won’t break you. You’re so strong even when you feel weak.” he said. It was one of the nicest things Cameron had ever said to her.

“Thanks, Cameron. I’ve been a nervous wreck these days. I needed to hear that.” she smiled earnestly.

“No worries, Iris. I’m only stating facts.”

“Now enough about me. What’s going on with you!” she asked with a newfound smile on her face.

“This might be awkward, but I’m on the hunt for a relationship.” he laughed.

“No, not weird. I’m happy that you’re ready to look for a special someone.”

“Even though I was ready to get back with you just three days ago?” he asked jokingly. She coughed and diverted eye contact. A blush was surely on her cheeks.

“I mean, do you _want_ this to be awkward, or…” she smiled.

“Hey, I’m just trying to remove the elephant in the room.” he shrugged and she nodded.

“So what’s your _plan_?” she asked him with dramatic quote marks.

“This is totally lame, but my friends are suggesting I use this dating app called City Seekers. Even the name is cringeworthy.”

“Oh yeah? Some of my friends have used that app!” she nodded.

“Hmmm. Would you mind helping me make a profile?” he asked. _Who would’ve thought I would be doing this right now,_ she thought to herself. Life really could surprise you.

“You sure you want me to be a part of that?”  

“C’mon, you know me the best.” he said. _If only that were true._ Three years with Cameron and Iris felt uneasy with the statement that had just fell from his lips. Barry, though, she knew him the best. She knew what was going on in his head simply by looking at his face. She could always hear his truth, his fears, his secrets, and his dreams all in the sound of his voice. She could feel the love on his skin. And he knew her in the same way. They had been best friends before turning into lovers. Maybe they had always been so.

“You’re just saying that. But, I’ll do my best.” she noticed the drift in emotions on his face in response to her obvious uncertainty. And she helped him download the app, build his profile and set up preferences. The mood was both playful and weird as they sifted through countless profiles, either clicking accept or decline. It felt liberating to desire for Cameron what she had with Barry. Maybe the future wasn’t to be feared after all.

An hour later, as she walked back to CCPN, she couldn’t resist the urge to search for new apartments on her phone. They had talked about wanting to move in together the other night and the memory hadn’t escaped her mind since. She had about seven listings saved as favorites by the time she made it back to Picture News. She loved Barry, end of story.

*******

It was about to happen. The food network played on her TV silently as she paced back and forth on her living room floors with her phone clasped tightly. It now was around six in the evening, the day almost done with. She heard a knock on her door and jumped at the sound she had been so eagerly waiting for. A breath huffed out deep from her lungs in preparation. After peaking through the eye-hole, she opened the door to let Wally in.

“Iris. Is everything OK?” he asked. He was wearing his signature leather jacket again and smelled of the city spices and bustle.

“I have something to tell you. Something important.” she said leading him to the couch.

“Yeah, I figured. You invited me to your place...” he replied. She nodded as they sat down together. He sat upright in tense anticipation. Iris found purchase with the fluffy woven throw blanket.

“Before I tell you, you should know that I didn’t go looking for this. But after a lot of thought, I think this is a miracle in disguise.”she started with a small smile. He carried deep confusion on his features. When he didn’t say anything, she continued.

“You’re my brother, Wally. We’re siblings.” she said searching for his reaction. He didn’t respond for some time

“What? How?” he finally asked.

“You remember my boyfriend? Yeah well, he went behind my back to test your DNA because he thought we looked related. When he told me what he did, I demanded to know the truth. I haven’t spoken to him since. We’re not on good terms right now.” she explained.

“How did he even get a sample of my DNA?”

“He somehow got ahold of your coffee cup from that day we met. He must have went back after hours and retrieved it. He is a CSI agent so he knew what he was doing.”

“That’s, wow. I don’t know what to say. How did you not know about my existence, I’m younger than you?” he asked as somber filled his eyes.

“The same way you didn’t know about me. I was three years old. After Francine left, Dad and I never heard from her again.”

“So this means mom left while she was pregnant with me?” he asked and she nodded back.

“I know you were probably close with her, but she kept secrets from you. She must have thought she was trying to protect you.” Iris said tugging at the ends of the blanket. She didn’t want to insult a woman she didn’t even know, a woman he called mom.  

“You want to know what the weird thing is?” he asked after some silence. “My mom kept insisting that I move here to Central City while she was sick at the hospital. She said I would find another home.” he said as water developed in his eyes.

“Wally.” she cried out reaching for him. Her heart smiled when he allowed her to hug him.

“I never knew what she meant.” he said into her shoulder.

“We are a family, even if we were hidden from each other all these years. All that matters is that we’re together now.” she looked into his familiar eyes. The same hue of brown as hers. He had so many of her Dad’s features as well. She couldn’t believe how she had been blind to it before.

“I don’t know how to repay you, Iris.” he whispered earnestly.

“Repay me? For what?”

“You could have easily kept the truth to yourself. Why not? You have a family.”

And she hadn’t thought about that. The idea had never crossed her mind as a possibility.

“I could never. No matter how messy, family is the most important to me.” she said to him.

“So, sister. When can I meet my Dad?” he asked, a shy smile gracing his face.

“I say the sooner the better.” and they both smiled at that.

*******

Barry couldn’t believe his eyes as he read the message displayed on his home screen.

 

 **Iris** : You can come over. Let yourself in quietly, please.

 

It was 11:45 in the night. The time didn’t deter him from jumping out of bed and changing into his clothes.

 

Half an hour later he was at her door letting himself in. Apparently, she heard his steps because he then saw her emerge from the kitchen.

“Hey.” he whispered awkwardly.

“Hey, take a seat.” she whispered back. He could see that she was wearing grey sweatpants and one of his college t-shirts that always looked huge on her. He contemplated how to sit. Didn’t want to appear too laid back or too rigid. Before he could even decide, her familiar scent was re-introduced to his senses. She took his hand and lightly nudged him to the couch. A couch where they had previously spent weekends making out endlessly. A small smile was on her face.

“Iris. I’m so sorry for breaking your trust...” he started as he rubbed the back of her hand with his finger. The familiar heat between them an all consuming sensation.

“What you did definitely wasn’t OK, but you haven’t broken my trust just yet. I was angry, yes. I needed time away from you for awhile. We both know that only goes so far. I’ve missed you too, Barry.” she said. He smiled hugely in response.

“Where do we go from here?” he asked instead.

“Well, I say we’re still together. But how do you feel?”

“I definitely want to stay together.” he responded immediately. She smiled back and leaned in for a kiss. At the first brush of their lips they both shivered at the contact. It had been so long. He slipped his tongue between her lips and she invited him into a series of kisses. Their tongues entwining deeply. He broke off the kiss first.

“How did you decide to handle the news with Wally.” he asked bringing her frame closer to his. She opened her eyes and smiled. Of course he knew that she would tell Wally.

“I told him a few hours ago. He’s actually sleeping over in my room. I’m sleeping on the couch tonight.” she told him.

“And how did he respond?”

“Well, he was shocked at first. But, he wants to meet Joe as soon as possible. I’m calling Dad first thing tomorrow morning to see what his schedule looks like for the week.”

“And what about you? Are you excited, nervous?”

“Both. I think the hardest part has been taken care of. I know Joe will love Wally as much as I do. But, listen. I don’t want you to feel sorry for bringing my family together. I just didn’t appreciate the way you went about it.” she said searching for his eyes. He nodded his understanding.

“I won’t ever do anything like that again. It was selfish and inconsiderate.” and she believed his words.

“Tell me about it.” she joked twirling the ends of her hair playfully. He laughed and went back in for a kiss. This time she cut it short.

“You can’t stay the night. Wally’s had enough surprises in a day.” her hands now at his nape.

“Right. But, I gotta tell you that I’m headed to Texas this weekend for a CSI training reinforcement course. I’ll be back Monday afternoon.” he said. And she couldn’t believe her luck. Cisco was meant to visit the next Monday to surprise Barry.

“Oooh. fun. I’ll miss you. What type of course?”

“It’s for forensic photography. Super fun stuff.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll learn a ton in that big head of yours.”

“Compliment?”he asked before laughing. She went in for another kiss this time below his ear.

“Yes, a compliment. Smarts are a huge turn on.” she whispered against his warm skin. His ears were a crimson red.

“I better go before we end up making too much noise.”

“Yes, you must.” she smiled dreamily up at him.

He leaned down to connect their lips once more. _This couch was meant for make-outs,_ they both thought.

* * *

Thanks for reading and putting up with my inconsistent upload schedule. I'm trying! <3 


	11. Caught Up In The Middle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK! 
> 
> When Barry leaves for a CSI course training in Texas for the weekend, Iris keeps herself busy with family activities.

 

 **Chapter 11:** Caught Up In The Middle

**_“Having somewhere to go is home. Having someone to love is family. Having both is a blessing.”_ **

 

“I just need you to remain calm.” Iris started slowly as she mindfully controlled her racing heart. She was sat in her childhood home, the dining table cool against her warm skin. Joe nodded slightly, his suspicion evident. He carefully eyed her appearance again. If he thought what she was going to say had anything to do with babies, then he thought it was all happening too soon. After all, she was still a baby herself. He absentmindedly played with his wristwatch.

“Something was hidden the day mom decided to leave us. She was pregnant, Dad.” Iris knew she needed to choose her words wisely. Out of mere shock, Joe wasn’t able to formulate a response. His eyebrows raised to the ceiling.

“Either she didn’t know she was pregnant or she was trying to hide it from you. I believe that she most likely didn’t know. What’s most important is that your son, and my little brother, is back here in Central City. His name is Wally... I met him through this current undercover case.” Iris said as tears slowly moistened her once clear vision. She could hear her voice wavering ever so slightly as she uttered her little brother’s name.

“Are you telling me that I have a _son_?” Joe’s voice went higher. She could only nod back for some time. A weighty silence in the room. Finally, Iris was able to form a sentence back to her father.

“I’m telling you that a piece of our family was hidden from us for far too long, but now we all know the truth.” she sniffled.

“Where is he? Is he outside?” Joe asked frantically.

“No, no, he is back at my place. I told him I would come here and deliver the news to you. We can drive back and you can meet him there. I thought it would’ve been too much to have us both be here. This one is between you and me.” Iris explained.

“No, you’re right. I just can’t believe how selfish Francine was to hide this. It’s one thing for abandoning you, but to keep an innocent child away from his family? I didn’t know she had it in her. Is she back at your apartment too?” his eyes transformed into unbridled anger.

“Dad, listen. Francine died a couple years ago. She was sick with cancer, but she did tell Wally to come to Central City before she passed. Francine knew we would be here. I think she wanted him to find us..”

“I want to meet him. My son.” Joe lamented with a shaky breath.

*******

Thirty minutes later, Joe took another deep breath in order to contain his seeping anxiety. His veins were ablaze with fervor. He wondered incessantly on how Wally would look like. Would his son look more like him or more like Francine? Or a beautiful mix between the two like his daughter? Before he could dwell on the thought for much longer, Iris finally opened the doors of her apartment. Down the hall stood Wally as he paced back in forth.  

“Can you guys believe this is happening?” Iris asked aloud. Meanwhile, father and son shared a long moment of silence, their eyes communicating more than words could ever say.

*******

“You’ve got to tell me everything.” Barry’s face was lit up with joy. He continued to fold his clothes before placing them into his huge suitcase, which already contained his DSLR camera and tripod. Iris sat cross legged on his bed reading over the CSI course manual with half interest. Her shoes were off further allowing the brightness of her yellow socks to contrast against his grey sheets. His sneakers and jeans scattered across the bedroom floor. At his bedside table stood a picture of the two on his graduation day from years back. In the picture they both had a smile of bursting giddy. The photo always made Iris happy and she smiled to herself once again upon seeing it.  

“There was a moment right before Dad and I walked in. Just a moment. Wally stood there for some time. Dad couldn’t take his eyes off of him. But once they got close enough, they embraced in a big hug. It was so beautiful. Oh, and I joined the hug at some point too!”

“I’m so happy for you Iris. I wish I was there.” he released a guilty sigh.

“Don’t worry. You have to pack for work. The West family isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Let’s all have a dinner or something when you get back.”

“Really?” Barry dropped the jeans he had been folding. He gave her a look implying he needed reassurance. She noticed the look and change in his tone instantly.

“Yes, Barr. Really.” she couldn’t help but smile wide. In a few steps he neared closer to where she sat. Iris reached for his left hand and lightly tugged for him to sit down. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from hers.

“You’re family too. I’d hope that you knew that by now.” she snaked her hands behind his neck to play with the ends of his hair. The suitcase was left open with a few folded items placed inside. The only sounds in the room were their shared breathing and the ticking of his old fashioned clock. She licked her lips nervously before reaching for his bottom lip. The electricity between them always daunting at first. Barry groaned from somewhere deep in his throat, the sound not missing her ears. His phone then vibrated causing a surprising sensation. Barry let out another groan. This one loud and clearly out of irritation. She tucked herself in closer to his side without a word as she watched him retrieve the phone from his sweater pocket.

8:03 AM **Uptight Boss (Singh):**

_No excuses for missing this flight. See you back Monday night._

 

“Can you believe him? I’m not a five year old.” Barry sighed harshly as he gave Iris his phone to read the message too. She giggled after reading it.

“Stop. That’s his own love language.” Iris replied, the laughter still in her voice. She started to type quickly on his phone before handing it over.

“Well, I’d much rather prefer _your_ love language, Ms. West.” he smirked at her. He then looked down to see what she wrote on his phone, “Hmm, ‘My baby’,” he smiled ear to ear, “you’re just as mushy as I am. No denying it now.” he grinned down at her.  Her skin rushed to an inferno in response, a blush spreading on her cheeks.  

“You’ve caught me! I guess I’ll go ahead and change your name on my phone to ‘My Barry’ instead. Has a nice ring to it.” she told him with a shared grin.

“How very clever of you.”  

“I’m going to miss you, you know?” she sighed.

“I’ll miss you too. But it’s only a couple of days and I’m sure Joe and Wally will keep you busy in the meantime.” he assured her as his palm clasped her bare knee lovingly. She nodded her head and checked the time.

“Well, you’ve got an hour to spare before it’s time to get going. I’ll help you pack.” she muttered. Her lips went to press another kiss to his sturdy jawline. Before she could get up, he gently guided her back to his lips leaving his hands to cup her jaw, controlling the pace. Her skin was baby soft beneath his fingertips. The kiss wet and hot. Later their tongues danced lazily as if they had all the time in the world. All too soon, her hands went to press against his expansive chest. She whispered contently to him upon releasing his lips, “Mhmm. We’ll finish this when you get back…” her eyes closed. Barry blindly chased after her pouty lips, his eyes closed as well.

“Definitely,” he agreed allowing their skin to brush against each other sensually, “just one more please.”

She smirked not moving an inch away from the close contact. He sweetly tucked his tongue past the loose confines of her smile. If for only a moment the outside world ceased to exist.  

*******

“Did I miss anything?” Iris asked, practically beaming. She dropped her keys into the catch-all table, back inside her childhood home. It appeared that Joe was showing Wally some family pictures throughout the years.

“Oh hey, Iris. Come join us.” Joe replied. He had his glasses on.

“I haven’t seen these pictures in years! Where have you been hiding them, Dad?” Iris gushed. She took a seat next to Wally on the brown leather couch. Iris noticed a photo taken on her first day of kindergarten. In it she held a bright pink umbrella with the biggest smile her baby face could hold. Much like the smile on her face right now. She remembered the private elementary school. The knee high socks with the black and white uniform. When middle school arrived she took full advantage of the public school setting and slipped into relaxed clothes. By high school she found her way with fashion, realizing that she could express her creativity through clothes.

“I haven’t been hiding them, just keeping them safe. I think today merits a look back.” Joe said flipping to the next page.

“This was the last photo I took with Francine. Halloween of 1994. She left a month later.” Joe said. Iris could feel the tension arise in Wally’s once relaxed posture.

“Wow. Mom looks so young in this one.” Wally whispered more to himself.

“Well, drug use does age you quicker.” Joe replied matter-factly.

“Look at this one!” Iris interjected compulsively. Wally followed her finger. A photo of her and Barry as kids.

“How old were we?” Iris asked.

“Oh… let’s see this was on Easter of 2002. So you were twelve and Barry was thirteen, your birthday hadn’t come yet.”

“Right, yeah.” she said back, a hollowness to her voice.

*******

Iris placed an empty plate onto the wooden dinner table. Grandma Esther’s egg noodle dish left a delicious and nostalgic aroma to the West household. Inside Iris harbored a feeling of anxiety. She could definitely sense that there was room for possible strife between her father and brother. Her eyes looked around the dining room to see several family photos, before her or Joe even knew Wally existed. Photos of birthdays, holidays, and family trips. Sadly, there was so much more they still didn’t know about him now. He reappeared down from the staircase.

“So, when is your birthday?” she decided to ask while he stood awkwardly not knowing what to do. She handed him the rest of the plates which he took gratefully.

“Oh, um, it’s on July 24th.”

“Really? Mine is on June 24th! We’re exactly a month apart. How crazy is that?” she raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“Yeah, that’s really cool. You’re such a Cancer.” he joked.

“And you’re such a Leo,” she smirked back at him, “does Dad know your birthday yet?”  

Wally shook his head quickly, “Don’t make a big deal out of it.” It then dawned on her that he was probably nervous with Joe’s obvious guilt and bitterness.

“Fine. I’ll get you both a calendar with the important dates to remember.”

He exhaled a shaky breath before giving her an appreciative grin.

“Well, this is my favorite dish. I hope you like it!” she changed the subject.  

“I’m sure I will, it smells awesome.”

“It’s good to have a little brother. I feel so lucky,” she uttered before she could stop herself, “I just wanted you to know that.”

“Iris. I feel the same, I really do. This is hard for me though. I’m trying to learn as much about you guys as I can.”

“Hey, don’t feel like you need to memorize everything all tonight. This is family. It becomes natural, OK?”

“Yeah I guess you’re right, big sis.” he smiled.

“And it will do you well to remember that.”

“Alright, dinner is ready! Iris did you set the table?” Joe yelled from the kitchen.

“Quick!” she laughed at Wally. He still had the plates in his hands. She went to retrieve the utensils from the cabinet before rushing to place them in their appropriate places. Wally was going just as fast.

*******

Iris and Joe watched in awe as the newest edition to their family wolfed down the last bits of noodles left on his second plate. He had the plate for all of 3 minutes before asking for more.

“That’s quite an appetite you have there.” Joe laughed. Wally darted his head up in embarrassment.

“Sorry guys. I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in what feels like forever.” Wally lamented.

“Well, Francine was never much of a cook.” Joe smirked with mirth.

“Erm, no. I guess she learned how. She made the best homemade pizza.” Wally replied looking at his hands. Iris could see his brows were buried in agitation but he kept his voice calm. She looked between the two men at the table with desperate worry. Someone was bound to explode.

“Look here son, I’m sure Francine found a way to develop some redeeming qualities as a mother to you, but I knew that woman. She-”

“The operative word being _‘knew’_. My mom was a great woman. And you know what?! I didn’t come here to have you diss her with every chance you can get. She didn’t tell me much about Central City before she passed, but she did beg me to come here. She wanted me to find my family. She knew you guys would love me regardless of the past. The sad truth here is that you can’t seem to love me without hating on her.” Wally said as he shot up from the dining table and began to pace back and forth. The usual dim setting of the West household felt overwhelmingly caustic.

“Wally, I’m sorry. Please forgive him.” Iris pleaded.

“Why are you apologizing? If he wants to be hot headed like his mother then he can.” Joe spat venomously.

“Dad! Are you even listening to yourself?!” Iris shrieked, her vision red. In the corner of her eye she noticed that Wally was gathering his jacket by the front door.

“You know what, I’m leaving too. When you decide to be the dad that I know, we’ll be back.” she snapped and followed after Wally who had already made it through the front door. Joe watched as his kids left his house. And there he sat with a table full of hot food, alone.

*******

As she shut the front door behind her, Iris could see Wally’s figure heading down the steps.

“Wait up!” she yelled after him.

“This was a mistake.” he huffed out.

“He’s just holding resentment with Francine. It will pass.” she assured him following down the steps.

“It’s been over twenty years, Iris! He is still holding this resentment. The woman is dead for Christ’s sake.” He whipped back to face her. They both stood on the sidewalk. 

“That’s true. And you have every right to be pissed right now. Please just give him a chance. There has to be a reason why Francine told you to come back home.” she replied. Her eyes silently begging him to trust her words. He looked away and down at his feet.

“Come on. I’m not leaving you to go off to wherever you go. You’re staying with me.” she said with a tone that left no room for arguments on his part. He rolled his eyes and followed her towards her parked convertible.

*******

After an eerily silent drive, they were now back at her apartment. Wally went straight for the bathroom as she dropped her keys and jacket on the foyer table. Her limbs had grown tired from the stressful turn of events. The cramping in her neck annoying her more with each passing second. Fortunately, the chime from her phone caught her attention before she glanced down to see a few missed texts. Barry’s name, as usual, stood out like a sore thumb to her. From his messages she found out he had landed in Texas around the afternoon.

9:50 AM  **My Barry** : _This flight is going to suck. Wishing I was there to enjoy West family time._ _We start the course a couple hours after I land during lunch. Text me tonight?_

 

She sighed to herself as she noticed the time. This was not how she expected her night to end.

10:56 PM  **Iris** :

_Are you still up, babe?_

 

Her feet sluggishly carried her to the bedroom before she found herself closing the wooden door.

 

10:57 PM  **My Barry** : _Still up, waiting for you. So how did today go??_

10:57 PM  **Iris** :

_Took a turn for the worst. But I will fix things…_

10:58 PM  **My Barry** : _What do you mean?_

11:00 PM  **Iris** :

_Dad was being an ass. Wally is pissed._

11:02 PM **Barry** : _Where are you?_

11:02 PM **Iris** :

_Wally and I are back at my place. You should get some rest. You have to be up in six hours._

 

11:02 PM **My Barry** : _We’ll talk about this tomorrow._ _I’m sorry for what happened. It’s not your fault. Things will work out fine, I promise. Love you._

11:03 PM  **Iris:**

_Goodnight, I love you too._

 

Iris placed her phone on the bedside table to let it charge for the night. Barry’s optimism had lifted her mood slightly. There was a lot of work to be done, but she felt hopeful. She opened up her laptop to check for any new emails. Thankfully, the majority were fashion and cosmetic advertisements along with an email from her editor concerning the previous news-week. All her energy was drained for the day. After everything was marked read, she went into her starred folder. She had read the email a million times since the day it was received. It always left her giddy with excitement. There was still a semblance of giddy however now she felt fearful as well. What would happen when she left for Thailand? Would her brother and father be broken beyond repair? Suddenly, October was nearing too soon.

 

*******

Barry stared at his phone, all hopes of sleep vanishing. The news on the West family was slowly starting to depress him. He couldn’t help but feel some guilt for the turn of events. If he had kept his curiosity to himself, none of the current drama would be happening.

“Listen, your moodiness is affecting my sleep here. You may not need it, but I do.” Julian snapped. Barry looked over at his roommate. The man, Julian Albert, had the worst attitude and was currently donning an eye mask. _Who actually wears those?_ Barry thought he could have escaped the man’s scrutiny for a moment, under the belief that he had fallen asleep. Apparently not.

“Sorry, I didn’t think my texting would disturb your sleep. You know, considering you can’t even see me.” Barry replied rolling his eyes.

“Well _true_ CSI’s adopt a sixth sense. I guess that gift wasn’t passed down to you.”

“In case you haven’t noticed by now, we’re both taking the same course.”

There was a moment of silence. As per usual, Julian needed to have the last word.

“Goodnight, Allen.” he said turning over to the side, his back to Barry.

*******

Her leather jacket added much needed confidence as she entered CCPD the next morning. Wally following close behind. She could tell that he still had a pissy attitude from the previous night.

“OK. We have this meeting with Singh, probably 30 minutes tops. Then we need to visit the lab after. Got it?” she told him. Her folder flapping against her chest from the strut of her steps.

“Sounds good.” Wally replied. He tucked his phone into the back pocket of his jeans. Iris suddenly had the urge to go upstairs and surprise Barry only to remember he was out of state. She looked up at the stairs longingly.

“Iris, I think we need to talk.” someone said sternly, bursting the bubble she was floating in. The voice sounded familiar. She snapped back to the present moment to see Joe standing in front of her.

“Wally, I’ll meet you in Singh’s office.” she said with protective haste. He left the two behind without another word. Iris exhaled to herself when Wally was no longer within earshot as she crossed her arms.

“Are you serious? Right _now_?” she asked her father flippantly.

*******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let’s all pretend there hasn’t been a huge space of time since the previous chapter...
> 
> As I said, I'm back and better than ever with the help of a new friend/beta reader. I'm not sure if I should reveal who. Will need to ask for permission. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and continue to read. For those of you who care, please just be patient with me. Thank-you!!!


	12. Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris makes some progress on the undercover case. Barry tries to juggle all the events while in Texas. Mistakes are made and words are said.

**Chapter 12** : Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime

  
  
  
    

 

**_“To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.” - Confucius_ **

 

He couldn’t believe how his sister remained calm. What was said back at the precinct? She wouldn’t disclose the details.

“So you’re really just going to sit here and pretend nothing important was said?” he asked her.

“Wally, let it go. Don’t worry about it now.” Iris replied halfheartedly.

“I would, if you just told me!” he implored.

“Right, because we’re totally not at risk of danger at this moment. We need to stay focused.” she pointed out rolling her eyes.

“We’ve been here now for two hours! My eyes are straining from these things.” he dropped the binoculars to fall in his lap. They were sat in Iris’s car probing from afar in a closed off spot, yet near enough to see the action.  

“Singh won’t allow us to interact just yet. We need to be prepared.” she replied looking down at her notepad as she scribbled into it. Inside Wally desperately needed a relationship with his dad, but he didn’t want to be the one to make the first move. _I shouldn’t have to_ , he thought to himself angrily. The current dilemma angered him to the point of wanting to punch Joe right in the face.

“My mom should have warned me how immature you guys are. I suspect that’s why she left.” he uttered in an eerie calm. No need to raise his voice, the words did the cutting for him.

He could hear her sunken words as she whispered back, “How can you say something like that?”

Bang! Bang! Bang! He grasped his binoculars with sweaty palms. A young man and woman dashed from the old, abandoned building. Once they reached the curb a car appeared to pick them up before driving off in a stealthily fashion. Iris quickly snapped a photo of the license plate number.

“Here is what happens next. You call the cops, I’m going inside. You do not leave this car.” she ordered as she tucked her notepad into her bag.

“Are you serious? You can’t go inside!” he roared.

“You care for my well being but regret joining our family?” she snapped back.

Wally shook his head in disbelief.

“You said so yourself. Singh doesn’t want us to interact yet.”

“We’re as prepared as we’re going to get. I’m going inside.”

He watched as she continued to gather her things. He had no choice but to call the police.

After settling her belongings, she sat next to him to listen to the phone conversation.

“Don’t say anything about me going inside.” she told him before the representative picked up the call.

“9-1-1. What is your emergency?” the voice said moments later.

“My name is Wally. There’s been gunfire shots here at 5673 Lincoln Road.”

“Are you or anyone else around you injured?” the voice asked calm.

“No. I don’t know if anyone has been injured in the building though.”

“The cops will be there shortly…” he didn’t pay attention to the rest of what the woman said because Iris was opening the car door. She locked the doors and walked towards the building purposefully. Wally took a deep, pained breath and closed his eyes. If something happened to her inside… He didn’t want things to end on bad terms. Just the thought alone had him curling his hand inward. Why was his family so complicated?

 

 *******  

“Alright Agents, it’s time to put your skills to good use. Remember to minimize distortions.” the professor, George Spektor, was a small and gentle man. Barry appreciated the professor’s approach to the lectures. It was definitely a breath of fresh air.

“Don’t forget the sixth sense. Oh, wait...” Julian muttered under his breath to Barry.

Barry rolled his eyes, it was hard to believe Julian had any friends. He reverted his attention back to the DSLR camera. The black leather gloves making his hands sweaty in the Texas September heat. He metered off an 18 percent gray card to bracket possible exposures from the bright sun. Before he could even double check his settings, he spotted a figure approaching him. The shadow blocking the view.

“You’re _the_ Barry Allen?” Professor Spektor asked. Barry practically jumped making him grip the camera tighter.

“Erm, sorry, sir. Yes, I’m Barry Allen.” he sputtered out.

“Ah, yes. He did leave notes on your jitteriness. Made it seem like a bad thing!” he laughed causing his small frame to shake.

“He?” Barry asked as his eyebrows met in confusion.

“Captain Singh! He wrote out a detailed review on your work at the precinct.” the professor explained.

“Oh. Yeah. I reminded him to write it before my flight, but I figured he forgot. God, what did he write?” Barry sighed with exasperation. He couldn’t seem to catch a break.

“Nothing bad, except for your jitteriness and horrible time management skills. But it wasn’t anything short of commendatory. You must be an excellent CSI to receive his praise, young man.” Professor Spektor said, approval in his eyes. Barry didn’t know what to say back. Professor Spektor filled in the awkward silence, “You’re the youngest CSI he’s ever hired to work for CCPD?”

“Uh, yeah. I guess so.” he replied nodding his head, a slight shrug to his shoulders. To be honest, he never thought much of it.

“David and I met in college during our freshman year. He was a little less serious than you know him right now. We split up by the end of senior year. He fell in love with his career, and well, I’m here today, right?” the professor said a hint of sorrow to his voice. Again Barry was rendered speechless. He couldn’t imagine Singh in a relationship, let alone with this kind man.

“I’m sure he was probably _a lot_ less serious than he is now.” Barry assured the man whose face only deepened with more glum.

“Professor Spektor, what did my Captain write in the review?” Julian interjected.

“I’ll have to look at my files again. What’s your name, son?” Professor Spektor asked.

“Julian. Albert, sir.” Julian answered in an almost hiss like manner. Barry quietly smirked to himself.

“I’ll take a look and let you know.” Professor Spektor promised with a dutiful nod, “and Mr. Allen, I hope we can talk again sometime later. Your work is amazing!”the professor walked away graciously leaving Julian and Barry were he found them. Barry noticed the few other agents tirelessly working beside him. He picked up his camera to make sure the electronic flash was in TTL mode then setting the TTL flash output level compensation at +3.0 EV. There was work to be done.

*******

There was work to be done indeed. Iris quietly opened the doors which were plastered with a “No Trespassing” poster. Chances are the dealers had already left the scene. The other chance would be that they could still be inside and armed. She could feel the outline of the gun inside her bag. Its presence weighty. Her eyes flickered around the building looking for any signs of disturbance. She could hear a glass shard drop along with hurried steps in the opposite direction. Almost immediately she retrieved her gun, all the while trying to keep silent. She took a few steps closer to where the noise came from. Her arms were locked straight ahead as her eyes scanned back and forth intently. The building was dim and hard to discern forcing her to squint her eyes. She took another step forward only to step on something. Something that felt eerily familiar to be a someone. Her eyes went down to the floor in muted fear. At her feet lay a man who had gunshot wounds from his lower abdomen to near his heart. He struggled to breathe, his eyes pleading. She gasped at the sight before her and dropped down to her knees instantaneously. Her small hands going to cover the seeping blood.

“Just relax, OK! The cops are coming!” she begged the man in earnest. Sweat trickled down her forehead. His gaze wavered in and out.

“Stay with me!” she yelled. Her gun was discarded on the concrete floor beside her. The police sirens were soon made clear. The man in her arms opening his eyes slightly to the sound.

“See, the ambulance is right outside. A few more seconds and you will make it.” she promised him. Moments later, the doors opened to footsteps entering the building.

“Help, over here!” Iris yelled. She was able to make out Officer Armstrong and Officer Marrese.

“Iris, what are you doing here? Are you injured?” Officer Armstrong asked looking down at her crouched frame. All the while, Officer Marrese used a flashlight to look around.

“I’m fine! This man has been shot.” she informed them.

“As soon as I scope this place out, I’ll send in the EMT’s.” Officer Marrese assured Iris. She nodded in understanding. The man in her arms was able to maintain a steady heartbeat. There was still a chance of survival.

*******

Barry mixed the glass graduate containing a chemical solution with slow precision. The darkroom a quiet and serene place. His prints already went through the developer and the stop bath until he noticed the solution was low on fixer. Then the last step would be the final rinse. After taking pictures in the daylight, the agents were sent to the darkroom. He hadn’t had much time to dwell on the family drama. The course keeping him busy. But the time would come where he would have to deal with it. His phone vibrated from the inside of his jean pocket. It was frowned upon to expose the prints to any source of light. He had no other choice.

“Hey, would you mind mixing this for me? It’s almost done.” he asked the young woman beside him. From what he could tell she nodded back.

“Thanks!” he grinned.

He then tried to walk out as quickly as possible without falling and making a scene. Finally, he made it through the black curtains. The light of the room burning his eyes as his phone continued to vibrate.

“Hello?” he said into the phone while rubbing his eyes.

“Barry, this is a courtesy call.” Captain Singh said.

“What’s happened?” he darted his gaze when he recognized the Captain’s voice. Calls from him were a rare occurrence.

“Nothing has happened. Just wanted to let you know about Iris’s recent… decisions.”

When Singh noticed Barry wasn’t going to say anything back he continued to speak, “Today she and Wally visited an abandoned building that the team and I have been monitoring for some time now. With my permission, they did a stakeout. I instructed that they take no part of involving with anyone there. However, after gunshots were fired, Iris decided to enter the building-”

“Is she OK?!” Barry exclaimed as a manic energy took over his body. He cupped the phone closer to his ear desperately needing an answer.

“She is fine. She found a man inside who had been shot a few times. She was able to keep him stable until the cops arrived. Although it was incredibly dangerous, she did save the guy’s life.” Singh’s soft voice calmed Barry down a little.

“How are you going to deal with her uh… decision?” Barry uttered out.

“I’ve already spoken to her about what happens from here on out. We’ve gone through the protocol again.”

“Thanks, Singh.” Barry said before the two ended the call. He could feel that his pulse quickened as he rubbed the back of his neck. For a moment he didn’t know where to look or what to do. His frustration mounting rapidly. All logical thoughts were thrown out the window. He fumed inside his head.  _What in the hell is she thinking?!_

*******

It was now nearing the end of the day. The sun slowly setting outside. Iris knew she would have to stay a little later than usual. After getting checked by the EMTs she was ordered back to CCPD. Singh’s disappointment was evident. His lips were pressed tight in a bitter smile. At the end of the day, her gut saved the man’s life. That had to mean something. Joe was there for the meeting as well. Of course he was just as furious as she imagined he would be. After their talk in Singh’s office, she figured she would keep herself busy and do something productive. The Central City planner book was open at her desk. Writing for the entertainment section ironically wasn’t entertaining. She needed to be on the streets, exploring and making a difference.

“When are you going to learn?” a voice asked from behind her. She cringed at the sound of Daniel’s voice. She then turned slightly in her chair to give him an expectant look.

“Word travels fast between CCPD and CCPN, Iris. You know that.” he gave her a stony expression.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“I want to know why you won’t stop digging!” Daniel broke eye contact as he tried to control his restless fidgeting.

“You do know that we are journalists?”

He flared his nostrils with his legs planted wide to the ground. His anger began to confuse her. Suddenly, her phone rang, interrupting the tense mood. Barry’s picture appeared. She smiled to herself in an appreciative sigh. They hadn’t spoken all day.

“I’ve got to take this.” she muttered more to herself picking up the phone.

“Hey, babe.” she greeted. Her feet drummed against the floor subconsciously. Already her senses were heightened.

“Can you talk?” Barry asked on the other end. His voice was clipped. _Oh no._

“Um, yeah. Give me a second.” she fumbled in reply. Iris narrowed her eyes at Daniel who still hadn’t left. She stood to pack up her things. Barry could hear her shuffling about on the other end. After putting on her trench coat, she clasped the phone back to her ear.

“OK, here.” she began to walk towards the front doors, “is everything alright?” She could hear him sigh into the phone. He was holding his temper, she could tell.

“You tell me, Iris. I can’t believe what you’ve done.”

Her lips grew dry as she swallowed nervously.

“How did you find out?” she decided to cut to the chase. Her hand went to open the doors in order to step outside.

“Does it matter? You should have told me you were doing this! You wanted me on the team. And you know I would have never agreed to this.” he practically yelled.

“It wasn’t like that. I didn’t plan for what happened today.” she explained to him.  
“And I could have lost you today.” his voice thickened.

“Well, you didn’t. If you could just relax you would know that I saved a man’s life.”

“I couldn’t care less and, quite frankly, I think that you got lucky.”

“What are you trying to say, Barry?” she asked adopting a challenging tone. All of a sudden she grew incredibly warm. The tightness in her chest becoming apparent as well. She did not need him to scold her, she had enough of that for one day.

“Your safety comes first before your job.” he replied forthwith.

“Right. Listen, I should go before I say something I regret.” she said into the phone. They stayed on the phone for a hanging moment until Barry broke the silence, “Iris...” he gave a low sigh.

“Good night, Barry.” she said curtly.

*******

Wally adjusted his leather jacket as he stood outside of the West front door. He then reached for the doorbell and waited patiently. He could hear footsteps nearing closer until the locks were being open. Joe stood at the door with a small smile.

“Thanks for coming. You didn’t have to do this.” Joe said opening the door wider.

“It’s cool.” Wally shrugged.

“I’ve been thinking about how I acted last night. I’m ashamed of myself and really I want to apologize to you. Francine was your mother. She obviously did a good job at raising you by herself.” Joe admitted as the two went to take a seat on the couch.

“Yeah, she did. I miss her everyday...” Wally said.

“You have every right to.”

“Does this mean you forgive her for leaving you and Iris behind?” Wally leaned back finding purchase in the pillowed cushions.

“I think that I’m ready to forgive her. With you in my life now I can see that happening. After she left, Iris became my number one focus. I despised Francine, but I refused to think about her any longer. So when you came into our lives, all of my harbored anger came to the surface. I’m not trying to excuse my mistakes. I’m sorry. ” he told Wally to which he nodded back to his father.

“I was thinking we could go through some more photos. Only this time I won’t be so negative.” he laughed breaking into a wide grin. Wally shook his head with a swallowed laugh.

*******

A moment to breathe. That’s what her small apartment provided the instant she got inside for the second time that day. The first was to change from her bloody clothes. After much thought on her drive back home, Iris realized that Barry was right. She just wished he had more faith in her. Her gut wasn’t always logical but it never failed her. He had to believe that. Why did he always have to be so protective? She was strong and he knew that better than anyone. It was certain she would have a million thoughts racing in her mind the next morning while on her yoga mat. The first piece of clothing to go was her trench coat. It landed on the kitchen table. She kicked her feet out of her heeled boots. Her phone rang again from the inside of her trench coat pocket. With reluctance she went to retrieve the phone. It was Wally. _Yeah, definitely not talking to him right now_ she thought to herself. She did bring the phone with her as she walked towards the bathroom. She opened her music app and clicked shuffle. Any distraction from her boyfriend, her brother, or anyone for that matter was needed. She turned the shower head on and continued to strip. Her lips sang along to the song blasting from the phone.

She went to retrieve her shower cap from the medicine cabinet. The cap would prevent straightening her hair for hours the next morning. Once it was securely placed on the top of her head with her hair tucked inside, the song was abruptly cut off. Another call from Wally.

“What do you want, Wally?” she huffed out.

“Get your butt over here! I’m making mom’s homemade pizza. Dad and I have been trying to reach you.” Wally explained. _What?_ she wondered to herself. Then she remembered her talk with Joe earlier in the morning. He wanted advice on how to fix the drama. She told him she did not want to be involved. She did her part and it was time for him to show up for Wally.

“So you guys finally got your act together then?” she asked, her chin raised.

“Yes, we did. Are you coming? I’m starving and the pizza is almost ready to be taken out of the oven.” Wally replied impatiently.

“I’ll be there in 20 minutes.” she laughed. She heard him groan dramatically. The call ended and she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, half naked. As expected, her tiredness became fulfilling rather than exhausting.

*******

“As you all are aware, tomorrow is our last full day together. I know you will leave here better agents than when you arrived,” Professor Spektor said, “let’s continue the steady progression forward. Serving justice requires apt dedication from all facets within any department you work for.”

Barry paid half-attention. He sat in the chair with his chin dipped into his chest. His posture slumped. He then crossed his arms and licked his lips for the millionth time that night. _Am I supposed to be proud of her? I’d feel the same even if we weren’t dating. She has to know deep down that what she did was careless and risky._ The thoughts wouldn’t stop. He hated the way they ended their last phone call. He then noticed Professor Spektor approaching him. _Oh, God._    

“Hello, Barry. Is everything alright?”

“Uh, yeah.” Barry nodded profusely.

“You’ve done exceptionally well so far.” Professor Spektor noted.

“That’s good.” Barry replied shrugging halfheartedly, his stare blank. The professor’s frequent compliments now rolling off his shoulders.

“Yeah, that’s good indeed.”

“I have a small, selfish request to ask of you,” He said, “when you get back to Central City, let _him_ know that I would love to hear from him again.” he looked at Barry suggestively. And Barry smiled for the first time in hours.

“Sure thing, Professor.” he said.

The two shared a nod before George Spektor wandered off to talk with the other agents.

*******

“Wow, that was delicious. Might give Esther’s noodles a run for her money.” Joe smiled, practically hugging himself. Wally shrugged confidently.

“Hey now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Iris laughed in good nature. The pizza had been taken out from the oven when she arrived. There were only a couple of slices left now. Iris went in for another slice.

“Why don’t you save that for Barry?” Joe asked. Barry would be arriving the following afternoon. Her lips pressed together in a slight grimace before she could even pick up the slice. Her hand then went to scratch her cheek.

“Good idea.” she replied in a tone lacking enthusiasm despite her efforts.

“How are you two by the way?” Joe asked.

“He’s overreacting to what happened this morning.” she said.

“Overreacting, huh?” Joe quipped with laughter.

“Dad, it’s not even remotely funny.”

“You can’t be so selfish anymore. You should try to consider how he must feel.” Joe softly shook his head. She considered his words silently.

“And Wally, how about next time you try harder to convince your older sister not to be so reckless?” Joe laughed and Wally blushed.

“You should have seen her. There was nothing I could say!” Wally explained. She gave him a side-eye and giggled.

*******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you think! Thank-you to @Ducklord3000 for being an amazing beta reader <3


	13. I'm Right Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry has some surprises in store when he returns to Central City. Iris continues to be a bad ass. Enjoy.

                 

 

**_“It’s only terrible to have nothing to wait for.”_ **

 

*******

 

It was around four PM when Cisco texted Iris about his flight details on Sunday. It was now three AM the following Monday morning when they entered her apartment. Cisco empty-handed as he left his suitcase in her car.

“I’ll wake you up when it’s time to go pick up Barry.” she whispered to him. She placed her handbag on the foyer table as quietly as possible. He groaned in response and tumbled onto her couch. She smirked at the sight of him. He was asleep during the whole car ride too. His wavy locks a disarray, as per usual. She went to retrieve a blanket for him and draped it over his sleeping frame. Iris then walked into the kitchen seeking the solace of fresh coffee. The exhaustion streaming tirelessly through her veins caused her posture to slump. Her arms outstretched to the counter as she leaned the majority of her weight to her wrists. At this point, she couldn’t tell what she was more excited for. _Sleep tonight or Barry coming back home? I must be crazy,_ she thought to herself with a sluggish shake of her head. Ideally, she could tuck herself back into bed and simply put on the alarm clock. But in reality, she had a Skype call with an administrative coordinator from the Bangkok Post in a couple of hours. The appointment came to her mind again increasing her motivation to stay awake. With a few clicks on the settings, she got the coffee machine running and made her way to her bedroom. The room wasn’t particularly _messy_ but she would be mortified to have any guests see its current state. Luckily, Cisco was dead to the world. There were a few pieces of clothing strewn over the bedsheets. She went to sniff the clothes in order to separate between dirty and clean. Once that was done, she made her bed, a lump forming in her throat. _This is cruel_ , she thought to herself. The comforts of the bed irresistible to her eyes. Then a promising thought came to her head, _sleep tonight with Barry, that’s what I’m most excited for._ She smiled to herself as she entered her closet. A bomb outfit was definitely in store for the Skype call.

*******

 

The signature Skype call tone caused a river of anxiety to travel down her spine. Still, she made sure to keep her posture upright and professional. Phone calls were daunting enough. She began to rapidly blink in response to the changing screen on her laptop as her fingertips went to accept the call.

“Hi!” she greeted. On her screen was a man who appeared to be slightly older than her. He was sat in a bright office, the sun shining through the visible windows surrounding him.

“Hello, Ms. West. My name is Gamon Songpole. I wanted to thank you again for being so accommodating with the twelve hour time difference.”

“No worries. Besides, I should start getting accustomed to it anyways.” she smiled.

“I must admit, this is quite fascinating.” Gamon said waving his hands.

“Technology _is_ pretty useful.”

“That it is…. You should know this is my first time assisting with international prospects. But, I’ve worked with the Post for almost 10 years now. We’ve got a lot to address in this call. Have you got a pen and paper?” He asked.

“I have a document open and ready to type.” she replied aptly.

“Millennials!” Gamon laughed and she found herself laughing along with him.

“OK. The first rule of business is your living arrangements. You have the options of shared apartments or a homestay.”

“I think a homestay would be the best to help me get a better lay of the land.” she replied typing.

“I will put out your request application after this call.” he said writing on paper. She nodded to the screen.

“Now, for airport pick-up and on-site orientation; I’m scheduled to be there. However, in the case of emergencies, my coworker Pensri Thumying will be there. Photo identifications will be sent to your email.”

“Sounds good. I understand the Post is written in English, but I imagine that I will need to learn some Thai.” she said.

“Yes, you’re absolutely correct. We require that you participate in the 1-2 week Thai language instruction. I’ve heard it is somewhat intensive.” Gamon explained. Iris gulped, she wasn’t the best at foreign languages.

“In addition to that, we have weekly cultural immersion activities that the Post strongly encourages.”

“Oh. I am definitely looking forward to that.” she smiled brightly.

“As such, we need to go over medical and accident insurance, personal liability insurance and the 24/7 emergency support on site.” he said. _Here comes the logistics,_ she thought to herself humorously.  Her fingertips ready to type at the speed of light.

 

*******

 

She peered over at the flight arrivals for the second time that day. This time, though, she was practically bouncing on the tips of her toes with glowing eyes. The butterflies in her stomach undeniable. Despite her general eagerness to see Barry, the prank she and Cisco planned also caused her to blow out a long, bated breath as she quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Are you _sure_ he seemed disappointed?” her eyes innocently playful.

“Yes, Iris. Even though I told him that I, his best friend, would be here to get him, he wasn’t all that excited. Rub it in more.” Cisco smirked at her.

“I’m not trying to, I just want to surprise him.” she smiled in earnest.  

“Oh, you will. With my acting chops...” he said shrugging off the rest of his sentence.  

“Remember, I’m in the hospital to visit the man I saved on Saturday.” she repeated her somewhat made up alibi to him. He nodded back with annoyance. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Barry’s face.

*******

 

Cisco was able to spot Barry’s tall build once he made it through the glass doors.

“Giraffe, over here!!!” Cisco yelled.

“Hey, Cisco.” Barry greeted with a small smile, his pace slow and measured.  

“You’re supposed to call me cub, remember?” Cisco’s mouth slackened in disbelief.

“Hey, I never agreed to those names. It’s good to see you, man.” he released his hold of his suitcase and went in for a hug.

“Are you OK?” Cisco asked.

“Yeah, good. Just bummed Iris couldn’t make it. I’ll explain later.” Barry stared at his palm as if it held the world’s answers. Cisco took that moment to lock eyes with Iris who was hiding behind a nearby kiosk. He motioned a crying face to her. Iris giggled silently, her palm covering her mouth.

“Don’t be so sad. I’m here,” Cisco replied and Barry nodded, “I can carry your backpack.”

As Barry went to tug the backpack off from his shoulders, Cisco coughed obnoxiously loud signaling for Iris to make her move.

*******

 

Barry frowned at Cisco’s random cough. _What the hell?_ Before he could even ask his friend if he was OK, Barry’s suitcase was knocked to the floor. He whipped around to spot the perpetrator. He nearly did a double take.

“Iris!?” Barry yelled. He couldn’t believe it.

“Are you surprised?” she asked with innocent eyes, batting them flirtatiously.

Barry shamelessly looked at her up and down, his mouth gaped open at a loss for words. He needed to feel her close but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. The tingles in his chest wreaking havoc on his brain. When he didn’t say anything she looked up at him from under her lashes.

“C’mere.” he murmured. She was practically on top of him without a second's hesitation. The feel of her body so close was quite literally therapeutic. Iris wrapped her arms around his neck and stretched to the tippy points of her toes. Their embrace possessing unspoken words. _I missed you, I forgive you._ He breathed in her scent with reverence, rubbing his hands back and forth over the expanse of her lower back. She hummed to herself contently, missing his touches. Missing everything about him.

*******

 

Barry and Cisco entered his apartment with their respective luggage.

“Your place hasn’t changed much.” Cisco noted once the luggage was situated near the couch.

“You were just here a couple of months ago, what do you expect?” Barry replied chuckling.

“As it turns out, Barry and I are going to be looking for a new apartment together soon.” Iris added taking a seat by the counter, excitement clear in her eyes. Cisco looked over to Barry in surprise. Barry nodded back.

“You guys move fast!” Cisco laughed. Iris and Barry shared a look of disagreeance. She raised her eyebrows slightly. Neither decided to delve into it any further for the moment.

“I’m super hungry. Anyone else hungry?” Barry asked aloud.  

“You know I’m always hungry. What do you got?!” Cisco yelled with enthusiasm.

“Well, I didn’t know you were going to be here so the fridge probably won’t meet your standards.” Barry cautioned. Cisco was already reaching for the fridge handle as Barry walked over to where Iris sat.

“That was actually a really nice surprise. Thank-you.” he said to her.

She reached for his hanging hand.

“It was my pleasure really. I’m so happy you’re back home.” she said looking up at him.

“How are you even living? There is virtually no food in here!” Cisco commented from the kitchen. Barry and Iris shared a quiet laugh. He spent most of his time at Iris’s place which explained the empty fridge.

“I’m going to give you guys some time to hang out.” she said.

“What, no? Stay.” Barry whispered pleadingly. He rubbed his thumb over hers. She looked over at him and realized he had gotten a little tan from his time spent in Texas.

“I can’t. I’ve got to visit the hospital and see if I can get anything out of Sal Anderson.” she explained remorsefully.

“I thought that was a joke.” he said letting go of her hand only to fold his arms across his stomach.

“I’m sorry, Barry. I’ve got to do this.” she said. She could see the fear in his eyes.

He sighed out in exasperation. “I won’t do anything ‘reckless’. The hospital is totally safe.” she promised using air quotes.

“OK…” he said with an almost playful roll of his eyes.

“And I know we have _a lot_ to talk about...” she continued in a slight whisper.

He nodded back agreeing.

“Keep me up to date with your shenanigans.” she smiled in attempts of trying to add light to the situation. He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her.

“I’ll miss you. Love you.”

“I love you too, Barry.” she said into his neck before pressing a kiss to the warm skin there.  

*******

**  
**  
“Don’t worry, Cisco. I’m going to order some pizza.” Barry said with a shake of his head. Cisco had now resorted to opening various kitchen cabinet drawers in search for food. Barry searched online for the nearest pizza shop on his phone.

“Pizza is great. I think two boxes will be enough.”

Barry’s eyes doubled in size but he decided not to protest.

“So you and Iris, huh? You guys are disgustingly cute.” Cisco said leaving the kitchen and walking over to sit next to him on the couch.  

“Thanks. We wasted a lot of time not being together.” he replied.

“What has been your best date so far?” Cisco asked. And Barry paused in self-reflection.

“Wow, we haven’t really had a date now that I think about it.” Barry said surprise etched on his face.

“Barry?! I thought you were a romantic. I get that Iris is your best friend, but you gotta do better than that.”

“We’ve been busy with work and family drama. It’s a long story.” Barry’s face was a pink hue as he explained.

“Tell me.”

“She is working on this new undercover case with Singh before she goes to Thailand next month-”

“Thailand? How long? What for?”

“Yeah, for 6 months tentatively. She was accepted into an international journalism program for the Bangkok Post.”

“Holy shit, man.”

“Tell me about it. I’m so proud of her but I’ll miss her even more now. So anyways, back to the undercover case. She got in contact with Wally and we met him two weeks ago. I had a hunch they were related so I did some DNA testing. And I was right. Wally is her biological brother. She was pretty mad at me for going behind her back. She forgave me last Friday.”

“That is a lot to digest.”

“There’s more… I left on Saturday morning for the CSI course in Texas. While I was away, she visited an abandoned building that was believed to be a drug site. Gun shots were fired yet she decided to go inside! I was furious with her and we haven’t had the time to really discuss it, but we plan to soon.” Barry explained.

“You both have the same problem of making decisions without discussing it with each other.”

“You think so?”

“Well, yeah from what you’ve told me. You did a DNA test behind her back because you had a hunch. While she put herself in harm’s way without telling you presumably because she felt compelled to in the moment.”

“I never thought of it that way.

“It seems that you’ve both sped past the dating stage and went straight to marriage mode. Which is understandable.” Cisco said. Barry nodded silently. _Maybe Cisco is right._

“Don’t worry, I’m right.” Cisco said a moment later causing Barry to laugh.

“I’ve missed you, Cisco! We should do something tonight. Want to go to see a movie after I visit Singh’s office?”

“I’m actually in the mood for some dancing in a packed club.” Cisco replied.

“Alright, let’s do both?” Barry asked.

“I’m down.” Cisco said.

*******

 

Iris smiled warmly to the nurses as she walked down the long corridor of the Central City Hospital. Her heels clicking lightly on the clean floors. The telltale smell of sanitation clear to her senses. Her eyes periodically checked the door numbers in search for one in particular; room 124E. She walked through the already open door located at the end of the hall.

“Sal Anderson? I’m a reporter for Central City Picture News. I have some questions to ask you if you wouldn’t mind.”

“That’s fine. I’m practically healed now, thanks to you.” he replied looking at her. He sat upright in the hospital bed.

“So you remember?”

“Yup. They wouldn’t tell me your name but I recognize your face.”

“My name is Iris West.”

“Pretty, just like you.”

A crimson blush bloomed on her cheeks. She cleared her throat before speaking.  

“Listen, I’m happy that I was able to help in bringing you back to health. Still, though, you’re in some serious trouble considering your circumstances.” she explained.

“I’m an open book.” he said to her. She looked at him quizzically and he stared back, challenging her. She then took a few steps to the guest chair to let her bag sit.

“Strange. That’s not what my Captain said. You’ve refused to answer any questions.” Iris retorted.

He shrugged in his seat.

“I also have a trusty source that tells me you’re the chief guy for drug supply. Jackie Daniels ring a bell? Have you got anything to say to that.”

“Well, I am. You’ve caught me. What is the point of all this questioning?”

“Because something seems too easy, too convenient.” she told him. He looked away to the monitors that were wired to his arms.   

“Isn’t it strange that when my partner and I, who are not cops, show up to do a stakeout that there was such a big commotion? I know the cops on this case have been keeping a close eye on that building. They’ve reported little to none activity. So much so, that they were very close to moving on until I persisted to visit. Something doesn’t seem right about that.”

“I don’t believe in speculations.” he replied sarcastically.

“Oh, well you should. It makes you look deeper even when the coast is clear.” she said, “you see, there’s another thing that I can’t seem to wrap my mind around. I’m well aware that you have an unknown partner. When I got inside I heard a glass shatter before I found you on the floor. The noise was on the other side of the building. Then I heard footsteps leaving through another exit. Yet, right now you seem calm, cool and collected. It appeared to me then that your partner betrayed you and stole all of your equipment. But now I think your partner was just following the plan.” Iris said raising her brow. Sal was rendered speechless, keeping his eyes trained on his lap. The only sound in the room was from the running machines.

“Or perhaps, you’re not really the chief guy in this story. Maybe that’s what you and your crew want Central City to believe.” she surmised.

“That’s a lot of guesses. I’d love to see you prove it.” he finally said back.

“You haven’t had any guests visit you.” she noted tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Looks like it. This business makes it hard to have friends and family.”

She scanned the room more in-depth as he talked. He didn’t even have flowers.

“You probably don’t have any either. I can tell that your job is your life.” Sal continued.

“And why would you think that?” she wondered looking back at him.

“I mean you entered the building so quickly and you were alone. You’re just a photojournalist, but you put yourself in harm’s way without hesitation.”

“You don’t know anything about me.” she replied.

“Looks like I’ve got some hunches about you too.” he sneered.

 

*******

 

“Singh, I’m back.” Barry said entering the Captain’s office.

“I can see that.” Singh looked up at Barry briefly.

“I just wanted to thank you for the report. I didn’t know what to expect from you.”

“Well, now you know.” Singh replied closing a file only to open another one.

“I also wanted to tell you about the instructor. You know him. His name was George Spektor.” Singh didn’t look up, but he did pause his writing for almost a whole second.

“He wanted me to uh... let you know that he would like for you to... um, keep in touch with him.” Barry continued slowly.

“We do not discuss personal matters, OK? But thank you for sending over the message.” Singh said looking up at Barry from his seat at his desk. The expression on Singh’s face astounding. Singh actually almost _smiled_ , mostly with his brown eyes.

“No problem. I also wanted to talk to you about something else.”

“Make it quick. I have to finish reviewing these files.” Singh said bringing his attention back to the folders.

“After taking this course this past weekend and also reading your review, I’ve been thinking that it’s time for me to branch out into something else within in this department.”

“What do you have in mind?” Singh sighed and leaned back into his chair causing the leather to squeak under pressure.

 

*******

 

The night was no longer young as the sun descended into its hiding place. Barry and Cisco made their way out of the theater.

“OK. You promised me we’d go to a club.” Cisco said throwing out his popcorn bag in the nearest trashcan.

“You don’t want to talk about that ending?” Barry asked dumbfounded. Cisco was about to respond before Barry’s phone vibrated from inside his jean pocket. Iris’s photo popped up on the lock screen.

“Hey. Everything OK?” Barry asked her walking aimlessly.

“Yeah, I’m good,” she sighed breathlessly, “you never kept me updated, mister.” Iris teased.

“We’ve been kind of busy. Just left the theaters and we are now going to a club. I was going to ask if you wanted to come join us.”

“Tonight?’

“Yeah.” Barry laughed.

“Can I invite Linda to come too?” Iris asked.

“Um, yeah why not.” Barry replied nervously. He suddenly remembered that he never told Iris that Linda was in on the DNA testing and he wanted to keep it that way.

“Great! Text me the address and we’ll see you there soon. Love you!” she said.

“Love you too.” he absolutely loved hearing her say those words.  

 

*******

“So who is this Linda chick? Is she hot?” Cisco asked Barry. They had just arrived at the lively club. The lights flashing to the beat of the pumping music. 

“Are you really asking me that.” Barry laughed.

“Fine.” Cisco relented.

 

*******

 

Almost an hour later, Cisco was alerting Barry that Iris had arrived. Barry moved his gaze to Iris as she walked closer, Linda following close behind. But honestly, all he saw was Iris. She was wearing a deep scarlet sleeveless off the shoulder top exposing her incredibly soft skin. She tucked the skin tight shirt into the waistband of her equally tight black jeans.

“You look incredible.” he whispered into her ear once she was in his arms. His voice was able to carry into her ears a lot easier due to her chunky heels. Her lavender scent only bringing back delightful memories. She released his hug with an appreciative look.

“Linda, this is Cisco Ramon. He’s a close friend of Barry’s. And Cisco, this is Linda Park. She is one of my best friends.” Iris smiled.

“Nice to meet you!” Cisco said reaching his hand out for a shake. Linda smiled accepting his hand. Iris sneakily made her way back to Barry’s side, giving his cheek another kiss. He wrapped his arm around the back of her waist.

“They’re going to be all lovey-dovey, so wanna go dance?” Cisco asked Linda. Iris and Barry faked offense.

“I know what you mean. Let’s go quick before they embarrass us.” Linda uttered causing Cisco to laugh out loud.

“I don’t think we’re that bad.” Iris said once their friends made it to the dancefloor.

“They’re definitely over-exaggerating.” Barry agreed.

“I’ve missed you so much.” she told him truthfully.

He leaned down to her lips for a kiss. Their first one in two whole days. She tried and failed to deepen the kiss when he pulled away slightly.

“Let’s not give them the satisfaction of being right.” he grinned down at her.

“Ok, then let’s drink! I’ve got to be drunk to do that.” she laughed. He smiled this time giving her a kiss on the cheek instead.

 

*******

 

Iris was always especially giggly after a night out on the town. Barry tried to monitor her alcohol consumption as best as he could, but Iris was also incredibly persuasive. Or maybe he just couldn’t say no to her. His vision soon became distorted after the fourth drink. During that time, Iris gulped down a few drinks as well. With sheer determination he was able to stick to water for the remainder of the night. Their friends finally made it back to the table booth after getting sweaty on the dance floor. Barry noticed Cisco’s frizzy hair.

“Hey, guys.” Iris slurred moving to beat of the pumping music. She almost fell to the side and Barry went to grab her hips protectively.

“We’ve been super good. Only two kisses.” Iris explained giggling to herself. Barry couldn’t help but smile at how adorable she was.

“No more drinks for you.” Barry whispered into her ear as an excuse to be close to her, also slurring his speech.

“Aw, OK.” Iris pouted her lips for a moment only to smile wide again. He handed her his water she proceeded to drink all of the leftover contents.  

“You guys are missing out. The dance floor is pretty fun. We can watch our table.” Linda yelled over the music. Iris nodded enthusiastically causing her thick tresses to bounce along with her.

“You guys sure?” Barry asked already reaching to grab Iris’s small hand once she placed the empty cup back on the bar table.

“Go on, lovebirds!” Cisco shouted. Barry gently tugged Iris’s hand to follow him to the packed dance floor.

 

*******

Iris was quickly learning that Barry became especially handsy after a night out on the town. And she loved him even more for it. He wasn’t much of a dancer yet he was able to keep up with her erratic and drunken steps during the course of the lively night. Any excuse to be near or touching her in someway. His innocent touches leaving a trail of heat in its wake on the cab ride back to his apartment. She scolded herself for wearing so much clothing. September nights in the city could be chilly though. And for the record, she was also learning that she wasn’t any better. If anything she only egged him on more. Like right now for instance. When entering the taxi they initially sat beside each other like normal human beings. But somehow, someway she landed on his lap. After a few kisses here and there in the dark light of the taxi, she made use of the height difference to play with his fluffy hair. _He’s just super cuddly,_ she thought to herself dreamily. The next thing she knew they were entering his apartment building. Barry led the way grasping her hand gently. Iris offered light pecks to the underside of his jaw once they entered the private space of the elevator. He kissed the top of her head. A moment later, she heard the light ding of the elevator. She half expected Cisco to be inside the apartment once they reached Barry’s floor, but then she vaguely remembered him saying he would take Linda home. After a turn of his keys, they entered Barry’s apartment. She released a hold of his hand.

“Tonight was fun.” she said stripping out of her clothes. Barry grinned at her as he took off his converse. He then went to pick up each layer of clothing that made its way to the wood floors. The scarlet top being the first to go. She proceeded to kick off her heels making her future steps silent in comparison. Due to her tipsy state, Barry watched as she struggled in taking off her jeans. With much determination she peeled them off her lithe thighs and past her ankles.

“Finally. I feel so freeeee.” she exclaimed with giddy. She twirled around once and stopped mid way to center herself. Her palm came to rest on her forehead for a few seconds.  

“Hey, wait for me.” he giggled going to pick up the discarded jeans. He looked back up to see that she disappeared into his bedroom.

“Barr, hurry up.” she whimpered out loud. He did a quick glance over of the living room to make sure zero traces were left for Cisco to notice.

“I’m coming, babe.” he replied back.

He opened his bedroom door to see that she was sprawled on top of his bed with her panties no longer on. _Fuck,_ he thought. The sight of her making his vision blur.

“You took too long.” she explained with a half shrug.

“Patience is a virtue, Iris.” he replied.

“Hmm, I don’t know anything about that.” she smiled coyly.

“Where are they?” he asked looking around the room.

“You mean these?” she said retrieving her panties from under one of his pillows. She dangled it on her small pinky finger. The panties swaying lightly. He walked over to her and took them only to notice that they were drenched.

“Iris...” he hissed out. She was making it very hard to resist her. She looked up at him innocently.

“Cisco should be here soon.” he warned looking down at her, licking his lips nervously. They had become surprisingly dry all of a sudden.

“Cisco, misco.” she giggled at her joke. And how could he argue with that. She was practically naked and all he wanted was to touch her. But one touch would never be enough, not with her. His fingers ached in what felt like a carnal need.

“How are you feeling?” he asked clearing his throat and clenching his fingers.

“Just a liiitle bit drunk. Thanks for all the water,” she sighed to herself laying down on her back, “how are you feeling?” she cocked her head to the side to look up at him. It was hard to keep his eyes trained on hers.

“Erm, just a little tipsy.” he replied with fleeting eyes.

“I’ll be quiet, I promise.” He released a harsh breath at her words.

“It’s been practically forever.” she pointed out. He then remembered that they were last intimate in her bathtub weeks before. It did seem forever ago... He found himself dropping her clothes while her shoes lightly thudded to the ground. Once he was close enough, she was in his lap instantly. Her small hands atop his shoulders to steady herself.

“Just a little bit drunk?” he laughed looking down at her. She giggled and nodded. His palms naturally went to massage the soft skin of her back tenderly as he pressed a soft kiss to her collar bone. She was already nearing the edge, arching into him helplessly.

“I’ve missed you…” she slurred out contentedly. Her eyebrows raised and lids closed.

“I’ve missed you too.” he murmured. It wouldn’t take much to bring her over. He nipped at the edges of her strapless bra. The last article of clothing to bare her naked, safe for the socks on her feet.

“Yes.” she hissed out tugging the ends of his hair. She slightly raised up on her knees, pressing them further into the soft mattress. She could feel his hands travel up her spine unhurriedly. It took her a moment to realize he was searching for the bra clip.

“Babe, it’s in the front.” she giggled out in a whine. He laughed against her warm skin.

“Thanks.” he smiled. It was hard to keep up with the complexities of her extensive bra collection. They both released a heady breath as his fingers unclipped the wire material. It was almost tortuous to see her delicious body on display like this, but giving her pleasure would make up for it.  

“I’ll have to be quick.”  he apologized kissing the tops of her newly exposed skin, cupping the undersides of her stiff-peaked breasts. She nodded adamantly. At the first touch of his lips she didn’t think she could take much more. She brought him closer and stretched her head back in a slow moan. _So much for keeping quiet,_ he mused. Angling his head, he opened his mouth a bit wider to latch onto one of the tempting dark nipples presented to him. She was like fire in his lap, unable to keep her level down. Still, he continued to suck with reverence. The longing from the previous week matching her breathless moans. His left hand then descended back to her soaking center. He could feel the sticky wetness she left behind on his jeans.

“Fuck… You’re so sexy.” he whispered for her ears only. She let out another groan when he began to gently tug on the tips of her nipples with his teeth. Her hands raked through his scalp at almost the same time his long fingers disappeared inside her.

“Barry, fuck.” she moaned out, the words almost unintelligible to her ears. She felt his fingers part in a criss-cross motion further making space for his hand. He then massaged her clit for what she only desired to go on forever. She was hot all over. He knew exactly what to do to set her off which was what made her dart her eyes to his when he retrieved his coated fingers out. She was even more confused when he pulled back away from her now heaving breasts, leaving a trickle of spit behind. The cool air uncomfortable to the soft skin. Before she could protest, he was gently leaning her down to her back. Her legs spread wider to accommodate for his body as he hovered over her. The bed sheets meeting her skin. She then noticed he was still fully clothed and eagerly dragged her hands to the buttons of his shirt.

“Don’t worry about me, OK?” he smiled as he held her wrists together.

“But--” she said.

“We don’t have much time and I want to make you feel good.” he assured her while going to kiss the smallest corner of her frowned mouth. She then formed her lips into a lazy smile once he started to move his way down the planes of her body.

“If you say so, mister.” she giggled out in a pleasure induced haze. Iris expected him to start out slow. Yet, he went in head first, dragging her clit into his hot mouth. She felt him drum his tongue against it passionately, causing her to arch her back. He was just as starved for her as she was for him. His tongue gladly lapping away any essence that dripped from her core.

“Barry, Barry, Barr-” she begged rolling her hips, her voice unbelievably high pitched. He grasped the sides of her hips in an attempt to hold her still. Taking advantage of her still body, he sucked her clit as he once did her breasts. With her elbows to the bed she screamed out expletives that were surely missed by him. His attention solely on bringing her to intense pleasure. She collapsed as her vision faded to white. The sensations of orgasm causing her to whimper out. He had now resorted to languid strokes of his tongue in her throbbing hub. She hissed at the contact.

“I can’t take any more.” she wailed.

“Did you like it?” he asked against the skin of her inner thigh. She sighed breathlessly. _What kind of question is that?_ Her eyes landed on his bedside table to see his graduation day photo again. Neither of them knew back then what the near future would bring. He went back to licking the inside of her when she didn’t answer his question, returning her to the present moment.

“Mmm, it was absolutely perfect.” she whimpered to him, she could no longer tell if she was drunk or just high off the orgasm. He lapped at her for a few seconds more before kissing his way back up. His tongue landing on hers. She accepted the kiss intently, tasting herself all over him.

“You’re so hot, Barr.” she moaned. He didn’t respond as he palmed her waist lovingly. Suddenly, they heard the front door being opened. Cisco’s appearance didn’t deter them away from their safe cocoon.

“I love you so much.” he said to her.

“I love _you_ sooooo much.” she smiled at him. She went in for another kiss, one that he had to cut short.

“I’m going to go check on Cisco.” he told her regretfully. She nodded in understanding.

“Hurry back.” she called to him.

 

*******

 

Barry returned a few minutes later with a towel in hand. She looked at him quizzically.

“This is for you.” he explained. She was still in the same position he left her, flat on his bed. He reached for her hands to pull her up and back into his lap once again. Her arm draped behind his neck as she sat atop him sideways. Her eyes followed his hands as he moved to spread her legs wider. The damp cloth then coming in contact with her sensitive slit. She bit back a moan and he kissed her chest. In her mind she thought it was oddly romantic of him to make sure she was cleansed. Once he was positive she was all clean, he discarded the towel with the rest of her clothes placed on the floor.

“Are you going to bed with these on?” she frowned at the sight of his clothes still on. He laughed and went to unbutton his shirt. His jeans following after. She was back in his arms.

“I miss you already.” he whispered. For a moment she didn’t know what he was talking about.

“I’m right here, babe. We’ve still got time.” she traced his abdomen.

“I’m scared, Iris.” he admitted.

“Of what?” she asked peering up at him.

“This past weekend reminded me that distance is hard. I felt so helpless while you were in danger here.”

“ _Possible_ danger.” she corrected.

“I’m serious.” he sighed. She froze in his arms.

“We’re not the best at communicating sometimes. What’s it going to be like when you leave in a little over a month? I don’t know what I’d do if something happens to you and I’m a whole continent away. ”

She considered his words silently to herself. She didn’t have the answer to his question just yet.

“I love you Barr.” she whispered to him. He kissed the top of her head, tucking her closer to his warmth.

“I love you, Iris.” he said. She then let herself fall asleep on his chest, his thudding heart playing in her ear.

 

*******

 

9:58 AM **Cisco** **:** _Leaving to go get some breakfast. You need to go grocery shopping_!!

 

10:03 AM **Barry** :

_I’m sorry for being a terrible host. :(_

 

10:05 AM **Cisco** : _It’s OK. I did come unannounced, but damn :D_

 

Barry laughed to himself causing Iris to stir. She slowly turned over to face him. Sleep evident on her face. Unlike her, Barry looked like he had been up for awhile

“What’s so funny.” she asked him wryly. Her hair was certainly mess as she did forget to put on her silk head wrap the night before. _Oh well,_ she thought to herself.

“Nothing. Cisco is out to get breakfast.” he explained to her with a smile.

“Food would be so good right about now.” she said. Her tummy grumbled at the thought.

“I should have some snacks stashed somewhere.” he said moving to get up.

“No, wait. I think we should talk first.” she halted him from leaving with a gentle hold of his forearm. He locked eyes with hers and nodded.

“Remember our talk the night we told Joe about us?” she asked.

“Yeah, what about it?” his tone uncertain. She licked her dry lips before continuing.

“I remember the days leading up to that night. I was so scared of being the one to ruin our relationship with my secret. Then I got kind of pissed at you when you let my ‘secret’ slide. But now, I’m the one who is doing that for things that are too important. It’s selfish of me to let my safety slide. You’re a part of me and I’m a part of you too.”

Barry mirrored her beneath the covers as he lay on his side. His body parallel to hers.

“What’s caused this revelation?” he smiled small.

“Some good sleep, thanks to you.” she laughed. He joined her laughter and traced his fingers along the curve of her hips, her body moving beneath them.

“So what does this mean exactly?” he asked once the laughter died down.

“It means anything that is remotely dangerous I will run it by you beforehand. I owe you that much. I still have a choice at the end of the day, but it’s wrong to surprise you like that.”

“Or _possible_ danger, as you said so last night.” he reminded her and she smirked at him.

“Especially possible danger…” she conceded.

“Who would’ve thought my oral skills would solve all our issues?” he replied. She pushed back on his shoulder playfully.

“Is that what you think brought this on?” she giggled out. He only grinned at her before bringing her body on top of his to connect their lips. She resisted the kiss in defiance. He tickled her sides and snuck his tongue past her lips. Barry happily swallowed her laughs.

“Guess what?”he asked once they parted. She smiled at him in anticipation.

“I had a talk with Singh yesterday. I told him I want to work as a forensic scientist.”

“Are you serious?! What did he say?” her eyes became lit with excitement.

“He said he couldn’t promise a position, but he thinks I’m ready to do the job.”

“Did you decide to do this because of the course?” she questioned.

“Yeah. Amidst all your drama, I realized that it’s time for me to try something new.” he teased her.

“You signed up for this drama, mister.” she smiled.

“That is completely true. Tell me, do you think it’s a bad idea to try a new position at this point? I’m a good CSI.” he looked at her pensively.  

“Not at all. You’ve been a CSI for so long now. It’s inspiring that you still want explore what else is in store for you. I’m so proud of you.” she replied playing with the ends of his hair again.

“With all that’s happening... The undercover case, the ceremony, you leaving soon and me having to kiss ass to Singh until I get a spot, do you think we’ll have enough time to properly look for an apartment together?” he asked. She thought about his question for a moment, transitioning to massaging his scalp with her short nails. She could hear him hum with pleasure.

“I never thought of it that way. I guess you’re right,” she paused, “what about you move in with me?” she pointed out. He thought it over, his eyes closed.

“That’s sounds perfect.” he agreed a moment later.

“OK. It’s settled then. Now, I want you to sit back and enjoy.” she directed him. He looked at her in surprise.

“You heard me. We probably have thirty minutes, an hour tops before Cisco returns. I’m going to rock your world.” she giggled out loud. Though this time there were no protests from him, heat transforming his eyes to spitfire green.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so freaking excited for tonight's episode!!! Iris better get some much deserved screen time.....


	14. With The Palms of My Two Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris makes time for a visit. Barry meets someone new. And Wally learns that there is always more than what meets the eye.

          

 _"And perhaps our awareness is the first step to our liberation."_ **_-_ ** **Stanley Milgram**

*******

The police department orchestrated various sounds. Some of which including briefcases clicking shut, footsteps upon the marble floors, phones ringing, the light drum of conversation. It was relentless. Yet, Wally would prefer that than the silence he was currently withstanding. He stood in the elevator with his older sister and her boyfriend. Iris seemed aloof to the tension. She held on to Barry’s hand while keeping her gaze on the metal panels. The first sound to surface Wally’s ears was the ding once they reached their floor. He let out a huge breath when going to adjust the collar of his leather jacket. Nevertheless, the surrounding environment helped in drowning out the awkwardness.

As they entered Singh’s office, Barry could smell Old Spice deodorant and a light reminiscence of fresh laundry. He stifled a cough from the pits of his throat and managed to force a smile instead. Iris released her hold of his hand, turning to face him worriedly. Barry gave a dismissive wave. She turned her face away from his and brushed her palms together. Singh’s hair was, oddly enough, disheveled. He knitted his thick brows together. They watched him adjust the tie around his neck.  

“Good afternoon, Captain Singh.” she blushed timidly.

“Sal Anderson will be under hospital care for about one more week. In the meantime, our focus is now on finding his accomplice. We’ve tried locating the license plate you photographed on Saturday. No luck so far. These people were definitely prepared.”

“What do we do now?” Wally asked cracking his knuckles. Iris looked to him with concern.

“We go over the facts, try to get some more personal information on Sal. There has to be a connection somewhere.”

“That’s great, but the man still hasn’t had any guests visit him. I even asked one of his nurses to alert me. And well, he’s been alone since he was admitted.” Iris explained.   

“Does he have any family here?” Barry asked.

“Public records say he was an only child. Parents reside out in Alaska. He’s been everywhere across the map since the early 2000’s. It seems that he’s been settled here now for the past five years.”

The four of them stood in a thoughtful silence. Barry looked to Iris. She tugged on her bottom lip and he could see that her shoulders were tense.

“So you three need to brainstorm. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me or the officers on this case. We’re all working hard to find this man and we’re almost there. A lot of families are going to be put at ease once we get these guys behind bars.” Singh said after some time. Barry, Iris and Wally nodded dutifully. He then signaled his hand to the closed door. Wally was the first to leave and Iris followed soon after. Barry peered at Captain Singh before parting his lips to speak. Singh was faster though. He narrowed his eyes, preventing Barry from asking any personal questions. Barry’s mouth snapped shut and he darted out of the small office. Confused, he could see Iris giving Wally a hug outside Singh’s door. She walked over to him with her arms folded across her chest when she noticed Barry returned.  

“You OK? What was that in there?” she pinned him with her eyes.

“I have a mild case of fragrance sensitivity.” he explained, a flush creeping up on him. He watched as recognition dawned on her face.  

“I remember you had that in high school but you haven’t mentioned it since.” she looked up to him apologetically, reaching for his hand.

“I’m fine, really. There’s always been something in Old Spice that’s triggered a reaction in me. I’m fine, I promise.” he caressed the top of her small hand. The corners of his mouth turned up as he looked down at her. She in turn gave him a once-over, a smile dancing on her lips too.

“What’s going on inside that head of yours?” he subconsciously leaned closer to her.

“Too much, I don’t even know where to begin. I’m headed to work so I can focus. Let’s talk later?” her heels clicked as she shifted from one foot to the other. Barry opened his mouth to agree but Iris was already inching forward to his lips. He shivered at the contact and before he knew it, she hugged Wally again and walked away towards the elevators. Leaving him in a jittery mess from such a small kiss. He then cleared his throat when he noticed Wally was still standing near him.

“Something is off with her.” Barry tried to stop his fidgeting .

“I’m sure it’s just girl stuff maybe.” Wally replied, the expression on his face hard to read.

“No, I know her though.” Barry uttered before he could stop himself. Wally’s eyes hardened.

“I’m so sorry, Wally. That came out wrong. I didn’t mean it like that.” Barry said, the internal heat staining his cheeks.

“Yeah, whatever man.” Wally made a move to walk away.

“Wait, we’re supposed to go brainstorm.”

“I’m more of a lone wolf type.” Wally snarled. And Barry wished he could go back in time as he watched Wally walk away from him.

*******

 

If anyone could help him brainstorm, besides Iris, it was definitely Cisco. His friend was soaking up the rest of his time in Central City. But Cisco seemed to be more interested with Linda. When Barry invited him to come along to an emergency call that morning, Cisco said he already had plans. This was particularly odd because Cisco had always been fascinated with CSI procedures. Although it amused him, he tried to reconnect with his friend again.

 

10:09 **AM** Barry:

_Hey stranger. Can you make some time in your day to meet up at Jitters? I need your help :D_

10:09 **AM** Cisco:

_What would you think if I told you I’ve been here all day?_

 

Barry laughed to himself amidst the honking cars in the city streets. Sure enough, as Barry opened the doors of the cafe he spotted Cisco at one of the central wooden tables.

“If it isn’t my missing friend.” Barry smiled, his hands placed at his hips. Cisco turned around at the sound of Barry’s voice.

“For what it’s worth, the coffee is really just _that_ good.” Cisco guffawed slapping his knee. Barry rolled his eyes playfully. He then noticed the somewhat empty line.

“Speaking of which, be right back.”

There was one woman ahead of him. Barry made eye contact with Linda from her place behind the polished counter. She lifted her chin at him in hello. Linda looked understandably tired, but there was a glow to her skin, her complexion ruddy. Barry was well aware that the morning shifts at Jitters started at five in the morning for the baristas. Iris used to complain about the hours before she learned to enjoy early mornings. Barry watched the woman grab her coffee and pastry.

“I’m sorry if Cisco is bothering you.” he joked as he placed both of his palms on the counter. Linda threw her head back, a laugh erupting.

“Don’t worry about it, Barry. I like Cisco’s company.” the smile on her lips was contagious.

“If you say so,” Barry nodded, “I also wanted to apologize about dragging you into the mess with the testing. I understand if you don’t want me to tell Iris. It was selfish of me to put you in that position.” Barry explained.

“Thanks for the apology.” she rubbed her forearms awkwardly. Barry smiled back and moved his gaze to the menu hung above her head.

“Erm. OK, I kinda already told Iris on Monday night before we all went out.” Linda blurted, pressing her hands to her cheeks. Barry bobbed his head in surprise.

“Oh, well. OK, then. I’m guessing she forgave you?” he released a sigh.

“Yeah, I mean she was a little pissed that I didn’t tell her sooner, but we’re Gucci now.” Linda snapped her fingers.

“Great?”

“Perfect.” she grinned back.

*******

“Hey, Dad.” Wally announced his presence. Joe dropped his pen atop the paperwork he had been working on and turned to face his son.

“Hey, there kid. Aren’t you supposed to be helping Iris and Barry?” he asked peering down at his watch.

“Iris needed to do something at CCPN. I think we’re all going to work alone for a little bit.”

“Oh, OK.” Joe nodded. Wally walked nearer to where his dad sat.  

“Can I talk to you about something?”

“Definitely.” Joe placed the unfinished paperwork back into its case file.

“I know I should be grateful for what Barry did. I’m so happy to be reconnected with you and Iris. But I still don’t know how to feel about him,” Wally tried his best to keep eye contact with his dad, “I guess I’m just having a hard time trusting him.” Wally lifted his shoulder in a half shrug.

“Son, what exactly are you talking about?”

“Barry stole my DNA literally _right_ after we met. He did all that without even telling Iris.” Wally explained.

“This is my first time hearing this.” Joe said.

“How do you think Iris and I found out?”

“I figured you both felt a connection or something.” Joe admitted, the words sounding naive even to him.

“Look, Barry did some super sneaky shit and Iris is blinded by love.”

“Now you listen here. He is a part of this family. Barry lost his parents at a young age… too young. He had to move in with his grandmother. Eventually, she lost her battle to colon cancer when he started freshman year. And I know I haven’t heard his side of the story yet but I do know he didn’t do this maliciously.”

Wally was left stunned, his arms dangling at his sides. Just as surprised, Joe moved his gaze back down to his knees.

*******

She was beginning to think it was futile to look through her case notes for much longer. Yet, she knew there had to be some sort of informant working with Sal. The question was who could do such a thing and why? It had to be someone with a little power or at the very least someone with easy access to information. There were hundreds of people working for Central City of whom could fit into that profile. Singh had instructed that they focus on finding the accomplice yet she’d done the exact opposite of that. Perhaps it was time to go talk with Barry and Wally to see if they made any progress alone. Instead she opened her phone to see frantic messages from Cameron. He needed to see her immediately. Iris scrunched up her face in annoyance when she noticed the time.

*******

“Alright, I am officially clocked out!” Linda’s face beamed, skipping over to their table. It was now noon. She took a seat next to Cisco with her handbag dropped to the floor. Cisco watched in awe as she shook out her short, black hair. He was amazed at the fact that Linda was a carefree soul, just like him. She didn’t even mind the height difference like most women did. He almost forgot how to breathe when her fingertips went to pick out a piece of lint from his black t-shirt. Linda then moved her gaze to the table top captivated by the mass of papers strewn across the table.

“What have you guys been so busy with?”

“Trying to figure out a way to track down this license plate. Also, stalking some guy named Sal Anderson.” Cisco cleared his throat.

“Isn’t that the guy Iris visited?” Linda asked, picking up the laminated photo of Sal. Barry nodded silently while holding the plastic straw between his front and bottom teeth.

“She told me the guy seemed to be too confident. And he knew she was a photojournalist without her even telling him.”

“Maybe Singh told him before…?” Cisco said.

“Singh refused to even disclose her name before Iris met him.”

“So the guy asks for her name yet somehow already knows her exact profession title?” Barry concluded as fear crossed his face.

“Look, she is safe! Sal is basically in hospital custody.” Linda reassured.

Barry then had the overwhelming urge to check on Iris. He could understand why she had been so deep in thought earlier in the day. Someone was watching them. But she needed proof, someone to point to.

“Iris!” his eyes widened when he heard her voice on the other end of the line.

“Babe, are you OK?” she asked. It sounded like she was driving.  

“I’m fine. I’m here with Cisco and Linda. I know why you wanted to go think alone.” he heard her sigh into the phone.

“I’ve been wracking my head trying to figure it out. I was just on my way to visit and tell you.” she explained.

“When will you be here?” he asked.

“I’ve had a change of plans. Cameron needs me to meet him, it’s urgent apparently.”

“Is he someone we can write off?”

“Yes, Barry. It’s probably some relationship stuff. He’s trying to see new people.” Iris explained with a giggle.  
“OK? Well, hurry back and please be safe.”

“I will. Love you.”

“Love you too.” Barry said into the phone.

“See, she’s ok!” Linda cheered.

Barry shut his eyes to regulate his breathing.

*******

Because of the time of day, Iris had found herself stuck in traffic for an hour, which was double the normal time it took to get to her apartment from CCPN. As such, she was more than eager to get out of her convertible once she parked inside the parking garage. Iris texted Barry that she was safe once she got on her apartment floor level. A few of her neighbors walked around the hallway and she gave small smiles towards them. She went to insert her key into the hole to find that the door was already unlocked. Her chin raised heavenward as she opened the door. _Please don’t turn out to be a psycho killer._

Once the door opened, it was clear that Cameron was snooping around with some of Barry’s boxes in the living room. She suddenly felt like he was intruding on their personal space. And she didn’t like it at all.

“Cameron, I totally understand that you needed to see me, but it’s not OK for you to just waltz in. What if Barry was here?” she gave him a frosty look.

“Yeah, I can see that. I tried waiting for you. But c’mon, I have keys.” he rationalized. He tucked his hands into his jean pockets. She looked at him expectantly.

“I actually went to visit you this morning and you weren’t there. One of your coworkers came up to me. He was super rude. Do you know who I’m talking about?” Cameron asked. Her brows snapped together at the thought of said coworker.

“Yup, that’s Daniel for ya.” she replied.

“You should watch out for him. Er, that’s not why I’m here. Remember Natalie?”

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes,“You mean one of the countless women that you liked on that app? No, I didn’t take the time to memorize their names.”

“She was a top pick! Anyways, we’ve been talking. The problem is that I think her twin sister is more my type.”

Iris didn’t respond. At least not right away. She needed to control her annoyance before she erupted into a ball of fire at him.

“Let me get this straight. You had me all panicked because you are now attracted to your date’s twin sister….?” she grimaced.

“I would call that a dilemma. What do you think I should do? It’s my fourth date with her tonight.”

And Iris really wanted to believe that it was a joke, that he was pulling some kind of prank on her. But then she looked up at him. He held his head in his hands moving to cover his eyes with clenched fists. She hung her head in defeat.

 

*******

The sides of his leather combat boots flapped against his ankles with purpose. Wally knew he probably should have warned the rest of the group. Technically, he wasn’t supposed to visit without getting approval from the Captain. But this was personal.

“Good afternoon, I’m here to visit Sal Anderson in room 124E.”

“You’d be the first one! Are you a friend?” the nursing director asked him. The young man had a stethoscope draped across his neck and a friendly smile on his face. The man’s gentle warmth a rough contrast to what was going on inside for Wally. He could feel his face going pale as he nodded back in disgust.

“Is he awake?”

“Last I checked he was taking a nap, but I’m sure he’ll be excited to see you.”

His nostrils flared for a quick moment which went undetected by the man across the desk. Wally was able to force another smile.

*******

 

1:03 PM **My Baby** : _Just arrived in my building. Traffic was hell. I’ll see you after I talk to him…_

 

1:05 PM **Barry** : 

_OK. Will have to be a little later. Singh needs me to meet someone at the station in an hour._

 

*2:37 PM **My Baby:** _You won’t believe what this idiot wasted my time with. Let’s laugh about it tonight?_

 

As Barry followed Singh up the stairs, his phone chimed. He went to read the new message after bypassing the lock screen. He smirked to himself for two reasons. One because he was reminded once again that Iris was just as mushy as he was, and two because they both knew Cameron was an idiot. He couldn’t wait to see her. His fingers were ready to type back a reply when they made it at the top of the stairs.

“Allen! I’m doing you a favor, remember? Put your phone away.” Singh said through a clenched jaw. Barry’s mouth twisted in annoyance as he shoved his phone back into his jean back pocket. They continued to walk in silence with Barry keeping a safe distance from Singh’s smell. Barry noticed a woman already standing in his lab.

“You must be pretty special to get your own space like this.” the young woman smiled. Safe for the heels on her feet, Barry could tell she was pretty tall, almost reaching his height. Her arched brows contained chestnut brown eyes, adding much needed warmth to her pasty complexion. Although she seemed to be about his age, she was dressed in a thoughtfully conservative fashion with a white blouse tucked inside the waistline of dark blue trousers. Her small leather bag was perched between the inside of her right elbow.  

“This is Ms. Snow. She specializes with trace evidence over at the Justice Department and has since retired as one of the Forensic Nurses for the Central City hospital.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Barry Allen. You can call me Barry though.” he greeted.  

“The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Allen.” she replied. Barry casted her a veiled glance when they ended their handshake. He noticed her smile faded when Singh started to talk again.

“Mr. Allen here has been spoiled with a lab while also being one of the youngest CSIs to work at this station. As I’ve told you, he’s expressed a desire to strictly move on to the Forensics position. So, I’m having him meet some of his potential coworkers for the next week while he works an undercover case.” Singh explained to Ms. Snow. Her eyes went round with interest.

“An undercover case? Sounds fascinating.”

“Uh, not really.” Singh replied, a small laugh in his voice.

“What kind is it? Based on the published statistics. the city’s been virtually crime-free for some time now.” Ms. Snow’s forehead formed a crease as she spoke. Barry stood there awkwardly wishing he could be invisible so he could respond to his girlfriend’s text. His nostrils began to tingle and he let out a small sneeze. They barely acknowledged this, continuing the conversation.

“We’re trying to be tight-lipped about this one. I _can_ tell you that we’ve got an incredible journalist on board who will be writing a full piece once this is over.” Singh divulged as Barry nodded excitedly. She gave them both a half smile.

“I’ll let you guys talk. I have some work I need to get done by the end of today.” Singh moved to walk out of the lab before he turned back around, “Oh and thanks again for meeting with him.”

Ms. Snow responded by forming a thumbs up with her hands. Barry pinched his nose to try and regulate his senses.  

“So, what’s a typical day like for you at the Justice Department?” Barry gently released his hold and moved to sit on the edge of his desk. She turned around to follow after him.  

“Not much different from yours right now actually. I even get to visit crime scenes. Which you won’t be able to do as often once you officially transfer.” she said. Her eyes scanned the room. She noticed the photo he had on his desk and went to pick it up.

“Who’s the lucky lady?”

“Oh, um that’s my girlfriend.”

“She’s beautiful, what’s her name?”

“Thanks. And uh, Iris West.” he answered proud. Finally, something he wanted to talk about. Too bad this woman was giving off weird vibes.

“Pretty name for a pretty girl…” she inclined her head.

“You’ve got a special someone?” he asked her but her gaze was locked on the framed photo. He let out a subtle cough and she looked back up at him.

“It’s complicated for me.” she explained going to place the frame back on the desk.

“Oh. Well, I’m sorry to hear that. I think it’s important for us to make time for love. You know, considering all the injustice we work with.”  

“Like I said before, the city’s been virtually crime-free for sometime now. But I get your point, Mr. Allen.” she lifted her chin assertively. Barry was finding it hard to enjoy the woman’s presence. Barry decided it was best to move the conversation forward.  

“Why don’t you take a look at some of my recent work and tell me what you think?”

He got up from the edge of the desk to walk to the back corner of the lab. She watched him flip through folders with his back to her. Unbeknownst to Barry, her left hand slipped to the inside of her leather bag...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last week's episode was great! Can't wait for tonight. Thanks for reading my story and don't forget to tell me what you think in the comments!


	15. I've Got You Babe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when the team comes face to face with unforeseen consequences?

 

                                                 

 

 

**_"_ ** **_No man or woman alive, magical or not, has ever escaped some form of injury, whether physical, mental or emotional. To hurt is as human as to breathe." -JK Rowling_ **

 

*******

 

In a feverish haste, Ms. Snow’s fingers went to retrieve her cellphone as Barry unexpectedly turned back around to face her. He held the manila file up in the air with triumph. There wasn’t a thing for her to do but to give a mirthless laugh.

“Ahh,” she lowered her head. “I’m so sorry to cut this short. There’s been an emergency at the Department. I have to go.”

“No problem. Do you want to take the file with you?” he asked outreaching his arm. She raised her right brow invitingly and made a steeple of her fingers

“Hmm, how about you come with me? You can shadow.”

Barry seemed to think about it for a moment before he nodded back eagerly.

“OK. We’ll  need to leave now.” she said. He did a quick once-over of the room before following her out of the lab. Once they made it down the hallway and to the bottom of the stairs Ms. Snow turned around to face him. Her dirty blonde hair whipped back in the process.

“Oh! I should probably let Singh know about this. Meet you outside in a minute?” she asked.

“Sure!” Barry replied. She watched him enter the elevator, his line of vision focused on his phone.

 

1:03 PM **My Baby** : _Just arrived in my building. Traffic was hell. I’ll see you after I talk to him…_

 

1:05 PM **Barry** :  _Will have to be a little later. Singh needs me to meet someone at the station in an hour._

 

2:37 PM **My Baby:** _You won’t believe what this idiot wasted my time with. Let’s laugh about it tonight?_

2:50 PM **Barry** :

_I can only imagine XD. I have some stuff I need to do for work. Can’t say how long just yet :(_

 

*2:51 PM **My Baby** : _Oh, alright… I’ll try not to miss you too much. Love you ridiculously!! <3 _

 

Once the elevator doors closed, Ms. Snow made her way to the Captain’s office. Most of the people were common strangers and she refrained eye contact with those of whom she knew. The clicks of her heels echoing in her ears with each step. Through the help of his office windows, she could see that Singh was on the phone. Her knuckles knocked on the door. He looked up, exasperation on his face which transitioned into worry.

“I know he seems a bit iffy, but he does a good job.” Singh said once she entered his office. His elbows were placed upright atop the desk with his hands in the air.  

“No, no. Don’t worry about him, he’s good. We’ve rescheduled to meet again. I just have to attend to an emergency for work.”

“What’s happened?” Singh asked. He then watched as she pretended to zip her mouth shut with her fingers.

“Right. Well, see you again.”

“Good day, Singh.” she waved before walking out the door.

 

*******

 

“Who are you?” Sal muttered, sleep still evident in his voice. He squinted his eyes from across the room. Wally quickly licked his lips and drew nearer to the hospital bed.

“I was Jackie Daniel’s boyfriend before you killed her.” he gritted his teeth.

“I’ve never killed anyone.” he spoke in a lazy manner. Whether that was to be rude or because of the meds, Wally couldn’t tell.

“So exactly what do you call persuading her to relapse?”

“I call it business.”

“People like you are disgusting,” his hands tightened into fists, “you’re murderers.”

“Can’t help it that our customers are weak, desperate, and pathetic.”

In the next second, Wally was advancing with the sole intent to demolish the scumbag. He yanked the collar of Sal’s hospital gown. Sal looked up at him with a daunting smile. A beat later, his fist plowed against Sal’s face with rage. He lost count of how many times he thrashed the weakening flesh. Sal took each blow, smelling his own blood on Wally’s fist. At some point, the vicious sounds of Sal’s coughs snatched Wally out from his furious haze. Wally blinked in recoil as his chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. The man was reduced to coughing up blood, staining his thin lips in the process.

“You shouldn’t have done that. See you in prison.” Sal huffed out. Wally jerked his head toward the front door at the sound of footsteps approaching. His eyes landed on his own bruised and bloodied knuckles. Fear tightened in his chest and he desperately wanted to evaporate into thin air. _Shit!_

*******

 

Iris was alone after Cameron left the apartment. Left alone with Barry’s boxes surrounding her. She decided to take a few moments to put some of Barry’s things in their appropriate places. Now cross-legged on her bed, she folded a plaid shirt, amazed at how much bigger his clothes were in comparison to hers. Surely, she could steal one from him to wear as a dress… The thought was definitely appealing. She got up to remove her pajamas from her dresser to leave them atop of her bed, deciding to deal with them later. A whiff of his natural and refreshing scent fleetingly passed her by as she grabbed the cable knit sweater from the cardboard box. Now that they spent so much time together, their scents had seemed to entwine together as effortlessly as it was seamless. The smell reminded her of the early stages of their relationship and the years as best friends. She drew in a long breath into the knitted cloth.

 

*******

 

Singh should have anticipated this. He knew better than anyone that plans had the tendency to not follow through. But plans came to naught for a reason. Always for a reason. To no avail, he just couldn’t think of a single, plausible reason as to why Wally would assault their, once, prime suspect. From the looks of it, the nurse didn’t know Wally was a part of the investigation. During the phone conversation, the nurse explained that Wally tried to pass off as a friend of Sal. Singh drummed his fingers on the arms of his desk chair as he deliberated his next course of action. This was interrupted when Joe entered his office.

“Here’s the detailed report for the White trial.” Joe said dropping the file on the desk.

“Good,” Singh responded, “Good…”

“Everything alright?” Joe noticed the distracted haze Singh was in.

“I just got a call from the hospital that the kid Iris recruited has assaulted our prime suspect.”

“Singh, that’s my son. What did he do?!”

“Your son...?” he leaned back.

“Now’s not the time to explain. Is he OK?”

“I’m sure he is fine. We need to go get him.”

Joe’s posture slouched in disappointment as Singh rose from his seat. How could a father possibly discipline a son he did not get to raise?

*******

 

Barry stretched out his long legs. Shallow and pernicious breaths emitted from him. He felt like he would pass out in any second. As he went to stretch his shoulders, he found a strict resistance preventing him from doing so. The cool metal of handcuffs jolted his eyes to open. He whipped his head to scan the room but his somewhat blurry vision made the task especially difficult. Yet, he could see and feel that he had been stripped down to his boxers and was laid flat on top of a mattress. He then looked up to see that he was hooked to an IV. The injection spot in his arm was stinging slightly. Barry adamantly tried to retrieve his most recent memories. Nevertheless, it was like following a foggy haze going down a rabbit hole. He knew without a doubt that he had been drugged though. Most likely with Propofol. From what he could tell, the predominant physical side effects weren’t as volatile as Sufentanil. The last person he saw was….?

“Right on time.” a familiar voice whispered. _No, it can’t be._ She fiddled with the watch on her wrist. He couldn’t clearly make out her face but he could recognize her lanky figure and outfit from earlier.

“Why would you do this?!” his voice trembled. He struggled to keep his eyes open for more than a couple of seconds at a time. His world blinking between black and a blur.  

“You and your team are getting too close for comfort.” she replied.

“You’re Sal’s accomplice...” the words were stealing every ounce of energy left in him.

“You know, you’re not as observant as your girlfriend.”

“Where is she?! Did you touch her?” worry snaked through his body. He could feel his heart rate soaring to unchartered territory. He achingly turned his head in search for Iris.

“Relax, She’s safe somewhere in Central City. But not for long.”

“What do you mean?” he ended up pushing against the cuffs when he failed in trying to sit upright, “Please leave her out of this. You must have kidnapped me for a reason.” he huffed out a weak breath, “I’ll do anything.”

“Did you forget that it’s because of little Miss West that you’re in this mess? The sole purpose of this is to get to her.”

“Where exactly do you think this will go for you, huh? Singh knows we’re together. There’s definitely going to be a search for you.”

“As far as Captain Singh’s concerned, I’m attending to my ‘work emergency’ _alone_. And the security cameras clearly show us leaving separately.”

Barry rolled his shoulder and tried to keep his vision focused. This was extremely hard for him to do. The cool temperature of the room freezing his exposed skin. It appeared to him that they were in her office. Yet, Barry thought the office seemed to have a domestic quality to it. She checked her watch again.

“What happens now? What are you going to do to me?” he drifted his vision across the room.

Barry watched as she squared her shoulders, finally looking him in the eye. He felt his stomach knot in regret. She opened her mouth to reply at the exact moment her phone rang. Barry puffed out his chest in anticipation.

“Daniel, we have a schedule we need to adhere to!” she barked into the phone. She turned away from Barry and disappeared into the office bathroom. Barry thrusted against the cuffs once more. His eyes frantically searched for a tool to help him escape. He noticed that his phone was across the room and charged through the outlet in the wall. To much dismay, Ms. Snow arrived not too long after.

“Is it done?” she asked holding the burner phone cupped between her ear and shoulder as she snapped on a pair of gloves. He flinched in response to the latex’s forceful thwacking sound.

“Great. Keep me posted.” she said into the phone before flipping it shut.

Ms. Snow loomed closer to him as he hooked his feet together compulsively.  Barry had no other choice but to shrink back into her captivity.

 

*******

 

She entered Barry’s lab to find that it was empty and he was nowhere to be found. After making it down the stairs, Iris paced around in the long hallway of the police department. She checked her phone for the millionth time. Barry wasn’t responding to any of her texts. _Something’s not right_. She looked straight ahead and could see that Singh, Joe, and Wally were soon approaching her. Iris took in a deep breath and jutted out her hip to the side. Wally walked with his head bowed down, Singh and Joe on either side of him. Her dad had a line etched between his brows.

“Are you an idiot?” she slapped Wally’s arm once he was close enough. He flinched and shook his head.

“Iris. I need to talk to you alone.” Singh said. Iris practically clenched the inside of her throat in response to his icy tone.

“Hey, wait. This isn’t her fault.  I read the story about the overdose and contacted her. She let me join this case because I dated Jackie. Iris hasn’t told you because it’s personal information.” Wally explained. Singh was silent for a moment. He rubbed his forehead and sighed out.

“Is that also the reason that neither one of you told me that Wally is your brother… your son?” Singh retorted. Iris and Wally looked to each other in surprise.

“Personal or not, right now you guys work for me. I need to know these things.” Singh continued. He shook his head to himself and walked away to leave them in the hallway.  

“Hold on, how does he know?” Iris asked once Singh was out of earshot. Wally shrugged cluelessly.

“It came up when I submitted my report earlier today. He was about to leave to get Wally from the hospital,” Joe answered, “I’m going to go talk to him, see if I can smooth things out.”

Wally and Iris were then left together.

Iris turned to face Wally, “You have some explaining to do.”

Shame spiraled through him when he saw the look on her face.

“I just wanted to know if the scumbag had any remorse for what he did to her. And you wanna know what he did? He threw it back at my face! Her death...” Wally’s voice wavered. “I’ve never been that angry before.” he shuddered. Iris folded her arms and looked to her feet.

“You have every right to be angry. The guy can go to hell for all I care. But what you did only hurts yourself, not him.” her mouth was set in a hard line.

“I’m sorry for going behind your back, Iris,” his throat clenched as he took in a sharp breath. “I’m not sorry for what I did to him.”

They looked to each other briefly with heated anger before Iris dropped her gaze to his knuckles. He followed her eyes.

“Does your boyfriend know about this? Where is he?” Wally asked self-consciously cracking his knuckles.

“I’m not sure if he knows. He’s not in his lab and he’s not answering my texts.” Iris said with a shrug.

“He was a little worried about you this morning after you left.”

“Well, now I’m a little worried about him.” she said looking on to the wavering crowd around them.

*******

 

“You sure he will be OK with this?” Linda asked.

“What he doesn’t know won’t kill him,” Linda scratched her nose with wide eyes. “Besides, he has practically started moving out to her place.” Cisco added.

She relented and he turned the key. They entered Barry’s apartment and beelined over to his DVD rack located in the living room. As expected, the films were alphabetically organized. Seconds later, Cisco found himself triple checking in disbelief.

“Dang it! He doesn’t have it here.” Cisco huffed out. They were sat on the backs of their heels, the DVD rack between them.

“...must have gone with the boxes. There’s still a bunch here though.” Linda pointed out.

“No, this one is a must see,” he muttered. “I’m going to call him.”

Cisco shuffled up to his feet from the floor and made his way into the kitchen. Linda continued rummaging through the movie selections. Cisco was delighted to see that his groceries had been left untouched as he took a seat on the small kitchen table. He propped his chin atop his palm with the dial tone playing in his ear and the light clatter of DVDs from Linda. Abruptly, the line went straight to voicemail. He rolled his eyes.

“Hey, Barry. Remember I gifted you _Battlefield Earth_ last year? Well, I can’t find it here at your place. It better be in your moving boxes and not thrown out like I suspect. If my assumptions are right, I’m going to be royally pissed with you. OK, call me back when you can.” Cisco ended the message, not moving from the kitchen table. He absentmindedly played with his cellphone in his hands.

“If this movie is so terrible, why do you want me to see it?” Linda laughed behind him.

Cisco turned around to smile at her mischievously, “It’s so incredibly awful that it’s funny.”

He looked up and his eyes caught a mini surveillance camera placed in the corner of the ceiling. He instantly jumped back down to his feet and squinted his eyes, inching closer and closer to the apparent camera.

*******

 

Back at the precinct, Wally and Iris were sitting outside of Singh’s office door. Iris crossed her legs, incapable of stopping herself from fidgeting. Wally sat beside her with his legs stretched out in front of him. She felt a vibration from her back pocket. Her heart skipped a beat to see Barry’s name across the glass home screen. She tucked the strands of her hair behind her left ear and accepted the call.

“Barry! Where have you been?” she slouched forward to her knees.

“Listen closely, Miss West. It is either your story or his life. You’ll need to do exactly as I say if you want him to make this out alive. You react in any outlandish way, then this deal is terminated and all you’ll get is a drug story that cost you the love of your life.”

Iris jolted upright, nearly jumping out of her skin. The hairs on her body standing up instantly. She feared to say anything back to the voice on the phone. She couldn’t hear besides the haunting drum of her heart. The noise of the precinct becoming mute.  

“Good girl…. Here is what happens next and I’m giving you twenty-four hours to complete it. The name’s Stavros Gabris. I’ve gathered some evidence that should be more than enough to corroborate him with these drug crimes. There’s a file waiting for you in the mailroom. All you have to do is successfully persuade Singh. Leave this case immediately after Gabris is held accountable and arrested. Now repeat after me: ‘you had me worried.’”

She said the words but they didn’t register to her mind, not even to her ears. She then noticed that her dad was leaving Singh’s office.

“Bye, Barry. I’ve got to go now.” she uttered out. Wally looked at her suspiciously. Joe stepped up in front of his kids.

“I think things are good for now. He’ll get over it.” Joe sighed. He followed Wally’s concerned gaze. Iris’ eyes had become rheumy yet she carried an uncanny smile on her face.

“You OK? He’ll forgive you, honey.”

Iris nodded enthusiastically, her eyes only getting more watery.

“Dad, I need to talk to you alone in the interrogation room. Now.” she said. She rose from the chair, her knees nearly buckling and she leaned up to give him a hug. The smile was still plastered on her lips.

“Bye!” she slowly released the hug, tossed her hair aside and waved. Wally and Joe turned to each other with similar squinted eyes. Iris couldn’t look back. Her eyes desperately chased after each person that happened to pass her by.

When she made it to the mailroom she retrieved the file. It felt hot and heavy in her hand. With insurmountable unease, she lowered her head. The first document was a photo attachment. A photograph of an unconscious Barry. An IV hooked into his arm.

The dry burning in her throat almost made her choke on her own harrowing breaths. She frantically closed the file while fraught in balancing between wanting to burn the paper in her hand and also clutching it for dear life.    

*******

 

Joe drummed his hands on the wooden table within the empty interrogation room. It had been more than ten minutes of waiting and Iris wasn’t answering his texts or calls. Barry was nowhere to be found. He grew even more concerned. Joe was nearly about to leave the secured room to search for Iris until he saw her approaching. She stole the same fearful glance from earlier. He could see her chest was visibly heaving despite her control of it. He suddenly fired up from his seat.

“They have Barry!” she wailed before he could get his words out once she entered the privacy of the soundproof room. Her nose was red and wet with tears. In the next second, she crumbled into her dad’s arms. He just about dropped her in unmitigated petrification. She was literally shaking in his arms. Joe’s heart hammered in a frenzied manner. Iris wondered if the pent up guilt dominating everything in her would cause her to pass out. Her soul felt decimated.  

“What are you talking about? Tell me!” he cried out.

“I got a call from some woman. She has Barry! I don’t even know if he’s OK!” she stuttered her words in tune with her shaking breaths. Joe had to shut his eyes momentarily.

Iris’s voice was hoarse as she moved to open the file, “Dad, look.”  

He instantly regretted opening his eyes. Nonetheless, he took the file from her hands to observe it. Horror evident on his features.   

“This woman works for the government. This is too orderly for just some dealer on the street. We have to believe he is alive! What does she want from us?” he asked.

“She wants me to drop the drug case. Frame it on someone else of her choosing.” Iris explained. Her phone dropped to her side with her hand still shaking.

“Then that’s what we do for now.”

“She is giving me twenty-four hours to do this. What if Singh doesn’t believe me.” she looked up to her dad, the tears relentless. “If he doesn’t, then Barry’s dead. Maybe we can track down his location before it’s too late.”

“Who can do that for us without raising suspicion and it getting back to her? She’s got connections somehow.” Joe noted.

“Wait! Cisco is here visiting. He can do it. I’m sure he can!” she said. Joe looked surprised but nodded along with her.  

“Name everyone you’ve talked to today and why.” he said.

“OK, well this morning Cisco helped Barry bring over some of his boxes to my place. We went separate ways after that. Barry and I met Wally here to talk with Singh. After the meeting, I left on my own to CCPN. I stopped at Jitters and Linda wasn’t there. I worked alone at my desk. After a few hours, I was about to leave to meet up with Barry but then I got a text from Cameron so I met him at my apartment. After he left I cleaned up my place a little. Barry told me he had to do some stuff for work. A little while later I got the call about Wally’s incident.”

Joe was silent as he tried to synthesize the information. Iris looked up at the ceiling in contemplation.

“Now that I’m thinking about this, it was definitely odd the way Cameron asked to meet me. And it was over something so trivial.” she gripped the roots of her thick hair.

“I have to go see him. I know exactly where he is.”

“Wait, Iris. Do you think he is capable of doing something like this?” Joe grabbed her arm.

“That’s the second time I’ve been asked that today. The first was from Barry and I denied it. I can’t afford to take any more half measures.”

Joe nodded albeit with unsettlement, “I’ll meet up with Cisco. Where is he?”

“He is probably with Linda somewhere. Here, it’s better if you text him.” she replied looking down, searching through her phone to give him Cisco’s number. Her fingers were still shaking.

As he copied down the number Iris said, “Wally cannot know. This woman worked with the man he assaulted today. I’m sure she has eyes on Wally too. ”

Joe met her eyes and nodded.

*******

 

Joe drove past the north wing of the Central City Shopping Mall in order to park his car in front of Big Belly Burger. The usual smell of grease and salt that once delighted him now only made his stomach churn. He locked the car doors and walked over to the entrance. Inside, the restaurant was fairly packed because it was dinner time. He spotted Linda and Cisco sitting near the back and walked over to them.

“Did you guys order?” he asked.

“Nnno-nope.” Cisco sputtered with his words, his complexion pale. Linda couldn’t stop biting her nails.

“We’ve got to look normal. I’ll order you both some fries,” he told them. They barely nodded back to him.

*******

 

“Hi, I’m here for the Kern reservation.” Iris smiled through her tears to the hostess across the reception desk.

“That’s a reservation for two and I believe both parties have arrived for the night.” the hostess replied.

“Oh. Yes, of course. I understand” she sniffled looking down at the desk. “I’m a friend of Cameron’s. There’s been an emergency and I need to see him.” Iris explained. The woman contemplated for half of a second.

“Very well, follow me.”

Iris followed behind the tall woman until they reached his corner of the room. The woman began to lift her arm to point in the direction, but Iris was already forging ahead towards him. Her steps transformed into vengeful strides.

“You son of a bitch!” she screamed. He whipped back to face her just in time to meet her seething hand as it striked across his face. In the process, her bracelet shifted across her wrist violently. Cameron’s cheek was red with her handprint on it.

“All this time... I’ve let you back into my life. And you were lying to me? If I would have known you were capable of this…-”

“Iris-- what in the hell are you talking about?” Cameron yelped. He held his palm to his burning cheek.

“Is this the new girl you’re talking about?!” the young brunette shrieked in a whisper.

“You must be Natalie, right? Watch out, he’s actually more interested in your twin.” Iris sneered.

“Iris! This is totally uncalled for. Everything seemed fine between us earlier today.” he retorted. Natalie looked down to her plate of steamed vegetables, her face flushed a crimson pink.

“How could you harm Barry like this?” she asked moving her attention back to Cameron.

“Harm? Barry? I haven’t even seen him since before I left for Tokyo. Iris, please explain to me what is going on? I told you. I tried to find you this morning and that rude coworker wouldn’t help me. Then we met at your place. Everything was fine.” he said.

_Rude coworker?_ She thought to herself, the realization drowning her.

“I”m so sorry.” she huffed out. “I”m so...--” she drifted the end of her sentence before storming out of the restaurant.

*******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A BIG thank-you to @ducklord3000 for sticking through my torturous writing process. GIFS (that are not mine) will be added when I get home from work. Definitely more to come in the following chapters, but enjoy for now...


	16. Freedom of Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry's loved ones continue to fight to get him back to safety.  
> All the while, Ms. Snow can't help but drift from hot to cold.

 

**_"The great art of life is sensation, to feel that we exist, even in pain."- Lord Byon_ **

* * *

 

It had only been a couple of hours ago from when he nearly pulverized a man’s face. Wally was grateful that his hands had stopped trembling once he left the insufferable confines of the station. Yet, his right-side jean pocket felt laden after making a pit stop at one of the nearest convenience stores. He reminded himself as he strolled around the city: _it’s been over five years…_

The atmosphere outside was still, despite the cars passing him by from his place on the sidewalk. The branches on the trees were frail and lifeless. The only hope contained in them were the burgundy red leaves clinging to the changes of the autumn season. Wally sighed and glanced downward to his shuffling feet. The concrete was slightly saturated from the light drizzle of the day. He could practically taste the bitter sourness of defeat between his lips as he halted his steps at the nearby bridge. Sal Anderson’s words replayed again in his mind, _“You shouldn’t have done that. See you in prison.”_ Wally had a heavy feeling that he would get charged with at least an assault. and if not, well it wouldn’t change the disappointment from his family. Nonetheless, his right hand impatiently seeked purchase within the pocket of his jeans. The cigarette box seemed strange to him in his palm.  He clenched at it only to tear apart the plastic packaging. _One won’t hurt._ _I’ll throw away the rest of the box._

“...I’m still searching. The hospital won’t release names.” a deep voice said several feet beside him on the bridge. He lowered his hold of the cigarettes, Wally’s attention suddenly revolving around the unknown man speaking into his phone. _Hospital?_

“Hear me out, but I think there is a strong possibility he works with Iris in some way. Sal said the boy looked just like her.” the man continued speaking and Wally swiftly ducked his head.

“... I _have_ checked all the public records. She is a single child. Something is not adding up. Is her boyfriend conscious for you to force it out of him?” he asked. Wally was rendered frozen in his spot at the mention of Barry. _How could that be?_ He had just watched Iris speak to Barry over the phone nothing more than thirty minutes ago. The cold distraught on her face suddenly appeared in his mind once more. _Shit_.

“Sal told the nurse that the guy was there for revenge because of his deceased girlfriend. Unfortunately, all of her social media accounts were deleted after the funeral. It’s going to take time to find someone in her circle to talk to me without raising any suspicion.”

“Well, OK… OK. I have to stop by my place for a little. Yup, bye.” the man ended the call. Wally watched him from afar as he too went to retrieve a cigarette from his back pocket. Without a second’s hesitation the man lifted the toxin in between his lips and lighted it. And yet, the unidentified white man seemed familiar for some reason. _Haven’t I seen him somewhere…?_ He didn’t have time to dwell on the thought for much longer in fear that the man would finally notice him. Wally pivoted back towards the direction he came walking from. He then extended his arm across the bridge’s ledge, further releasing his hold of the cigarette box. It collapsed only to join the murky city water several feet below.

* * *

“Eat.” Joe slid the red plastic tray across the table, his tone formidable. Cisco slowly scooped a couple of fries into his palm. He slightly flinched at the hot oil contact. It was strange because Cisco hadn’t seen Joe in months.

“ I really don’t want to bring you guys into this, it’s just that I have a hunch that his captor works for the state in some way. I can’t risk lighting any red flags at the precinct and it getting back to her.” Joe said, observing upon the two opposite of him.

“How do you know the captor is a woman?” Linda asked. She still hadn’t touched the fast food and Cisco’s fries were left in his palm, uneaten.

“Eat,” Joe directed again. Both Cisco and Linda glimpsed to each other begrudgingly nevertheless relenting. Joe watched as Linda picked a single fry from Cisco’s palm. Their chewing obviously stiff and mechanical.

“I know because the woman called Iris using Barry’s phone. She is giving us twenty-four hours to pin the drug crimes on someone of her choosing. His name is Stavros Gabris. There’s a sketchy track record yet, from what I can tell, he is an innocent civilian.”

“Joe, I couldn’t tell you this before because I didn’t want it on tape... Neither one of us can go back into Barry’s apartment until we find him. She planted surveillance cameras inside.” Cisco informed, his nostrils flared uncontrollably.

“My God…”

“I was able to read the surveillance camera brand: United Security Company. I tried to research on my phone during the ride over here, but I found nothing.” Cisco added.

“Tell me everything you noticed.” Joe said opening up his notepad.

 

* * *

“I’m kind of busy right now, Wally.” she was nearly reaching the front doors of her workplace, desperately hoping Daniel was in the office. Her breaths were just barely catching up with her hasty footsteps. Surely, she would land on her face in any moment.

“I know what happened to Barry. I just overheard someone on the phone. He and his partner are trying to find me.” Wally’s voice was deep and hurried through her phone receiver.

Iris stopped in her tracks, her handbag slapping against her hip.

“What did the man look like?” She stood in front of the recently closed boutique store, _Minta’s_.

“Familiar for some reason. I just, I don’t know where else I’ve seen him. He’s white. Average height and build. Blonde hair. I wasn’t super close up or anything…” Wally explained.

“I think I know who it is. Where did you see him? Did _he_ see you at all?” Iris asked, her heart clenching at the latter question.

“No. I kept my head down for the most part. It was at the bridge on 75th, near the station. But he must be long gone from there now. Said he was going to be headed to his place before having a meeting with the person he was on the phone with.”

She knew exactly the place he was referencing. She and Barry had many walks down the scenic path before.

“Good. I need you to stay out of this. If they find you…. I can’t risk that. You understand?”

Wally didn’t say anything back. It was getting harder and harder for Iris to contain the bile deep within her throat from erupting.

“Wally! We don’t have much time. Please! Promise me you’ll keep to yourself.” she begged.

“Time?” Wally asked.

“Yes, time. And twenty-four hours of it.”

“Don’t worry about me.” he said before ending the call.

She couldn’t dwell on Wally’s words. There had to be a way to get ahold of Daniel’s address. She had to find it and fast before he left for his meeting with the mastermind woman. She then sighed shakily, quickly remembering how messy Daniel was with his work desk. Her hurried stride towards Picture News was renewed.

 

* * *

Time ceased to exist as he slowly gained consciousness. Upon waking up, deep down Barry could sense that the standstill feeling had to be flawed. Even with proven scientific knowledge to lean on, it made it no more easier to fall for the visceral trap of time. His skin glistened with sweat and he could feel his eyes were flooded with tears. The wet hairs of his lashes made it difficult as he struggled to keep his eyes shut. He was also unsure of two things. Did he simply no longer have the will to live? Or, was he just no longer strong enough to withhold the torture? An agreement to either question was a fate he wasn’t yet ready to accept. A foreign hollowness resided in the pit of his stomach and the heat emitting from the small flash light could no longer be ignored. Strangely enough, as his wet vision opened up, Barry couldn’t remember her name. He surely could recognize her as the threat, but not her name.

“Where is Iris?” he whispered as the flaky skin of his top and bottom lip scraped against each other. Barry couldn’t believe he was smelling a vanilla candle from nearby. The delightful scent ironically grating amidst the emotional climate of the room itself. _Did this freak really light a candle?_ Without warning, Ms. Snow’s cold fingertips pried Barry’s eyelids to open wider. The light beam was only incessant as he tried to inch away from her touch.

“Don’t worry. Really. I’m so sorry this has to involve you,” her voice was thick with _something_. She muttered intelligibly to herself and sniffled. Once the light was taken away from his sight, Barry tried to center his eyes on her. He could see that her nose was slightly red.

“How do I know she is safe?” he lifted his gaze to her glossy eyes, “Why should I even trust you?”

Ms. Snow gave him a frosty stare, a muscle in her jaw twitched. She then moved further away from him. Barry sighed and closed his eyes once more.

“Here are some security camera stills from a little over an hour ago. Time and date are in the top right corner. There she is, nice and safe.” Ms. Snow handed over the printed photographs to him. She then held up her phone to display the time. Barry could barely remember what day of the week it was, but he decided he had no other choice but to believe her. Thankfully, he could still recognize the precinct floors. It was hard to make out her face clearly but he knew it was her.

“What do you want from us?” he asked. There was a sense of ambiguous intransigence on her part that was utterly discomforting.

“I want your little team with Singh to stay away from my operations. I know it was Iris who presented the idea to the Captain. As such, I’ve given her a task to complete by tomorrow. If she succeeds I’ll be reading the Central City Citizen contently,” she paused to smile to herself, “I can see it now: _CCPD Catches Culprit Behind Drug Scare_. Well, hopefully, she can create a better headline than that.”   

“And if she doesn’t?” Barry asked.

Ms. Snow was silent, her eyes to the floor.

“You’ll kill me?”

“I haven’t quite figured out what to do with you yet,” she shrugged in such a manner suggesting his life to be nothing more than expendable. Barry could literally feel his face go pale.

“Oh, pardon me. I’ve got to get you some food and water.” her voice became disembodied, Barry’s mind now elsewhere. Countless questions whirled around, consuming his train of thought. There had to be a way out, a way to throw off her flimsy plan. First he would need some fuel. He then noticed that she had shielded the single window in the room with one of those insanely thick curtains. Even so, his instincts were compelling him that it was actually later in the evening. He could clearly remember meeting the woman when the sun was still out. If he was right about her using propofol to sedate him, then it could have been at least six hours later in the day. Yet, from the looks of it, it could’ve been either eight in the evening or just past midnight.

Ms. Snow reappeared from the right side doorway carrying saltine crackers and jello in her left hand, and a styrofoam cup with a clear straw peeking out in her right hand.  

“I’ve got some graham crackers if you would rather prefer a sweet taste.” she told him, placing the packaged food across his lap. He couldn’t resist flinching to her contradicting touch.

“Just imagine I’m your precious Iris. Only a smarter, more successful, more capable version. I don’t want to harm you.”

When he didn’t respond, she pressed her lips together and turned away. Even with the needed food, he felt sick to his stomach.

 

* * *

****

 

“So, like you said, this woman obviously works for the police force in some capacity. But I’m thinking this whole kidnapping scheme wasn’t as fully thought out at she wants us to believe. Which means that her work schedule is flexible. She had to have been in Barry’s presence, figured out his connections to Iris, and acted accordingly. She can’t be working a 9 to 5 job. Her absence would be questioned.” Linda surmised her hunches across from Joe. They were still sat in Big Belly Burger. After researching the surveillance camera brand only to find that the company ceased to exist at all. She had planted a fake logo onto the camera.

“But maybe she works in a typical field with long hours therefore creating an alibi for herself. In fact, it’s plausible that she works with this guy.” Joe noted pointing to a mug shot of Sal Anderson.

“Who is this?” she asked.

“He was arrested and injured at an abandoned building known for drug activity a couple of days ago. Because she works long and odd hours, she would need one guy to move the drugs around, and if she is smart, another guy to watch her back.” Joe said.

“It might be a good idea to look into female workers of the justice department.” Cisco replied. He began typing away on his keyboard after opening up his black laptop.

“It’s a pretty long list, need to narrow it down.” Joe scratched his jaw.

“Then maybe we should also look for recently retired positions. I know you said someone who works full time but maybe it will lead us somewhere.” Linda added.

“You two are smart. Let’s get started.”

* * *

 

Iris fumbled around to retrieve a few bills from the inside her purse as she sat at the backseat of the dim taxi cab. The driver held out his open palm.

“Keep the change. Would you mind waiting out here for me? If I’m not out in at least twenty minutes, please alert Detective Joe West. I will compensate you for the time.” she handed over her father’s contact information.

“Sure thing, Miss,” he paused briefly, “Why go in when there is a risk of not getting out safely?” he asked.

“I can’t worry about myself right now. The love of my life is out somewhere in danger. I need to find him.”

“Who is inside this place that you hope to find?”

“A cowardly man. A man that I’m not afraid of.” she could feel the tension in her jaw setting.

“Be safe. Twenty minutes.” the driver said. Iris nodded and caught a view of herself in the rear-view mirror. The reflection was jarring to say the least. She hadn’t looked at herself since the early morning of the day, when her boyfriend was safe and sound. When her life hadn’t come crashing down.

_Barry needs you. You got this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me for the absence. These recent chapters have been a creative challenge for me to write. Happy 10 year anniversary to OTW! Thank you Viktor for being not only a great beta, but for also being a great friend. <3


	17. The Clouds Are Rolling In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As we draw to a close, new revelations are still possible. It goes without saying this chapter is a long time coming. Decided to finally post in celebration of Candice Patton's 30th birthday! I hope you enjoy.

* * *

_It started slow. Her upper lip trembled, seemingly on its own accord. He appeared unrecognizable through her clouded stare for a brief, devastating moment. The stubborn block forming in her throat made it tricky to draw in air. Iris always knew the world could be cruel. Still, she couldn’t fathom acts of violence happening right within her grasp. In the next moment, an eternity lapsed. And within that moment of eternity, something akin to an acidic heat blazed within and haunted every moral code she ever once put faith in. She hiccuped on the next shaky gasp when he smiled at her. Her breath, sticky and ragged, finally registered to her ears._

**_***_ **

_**“All alone! Whether you like it or not, alone is something you'll be quite a lot!” -Dr. Seuss** _

* * *

 

“I can’t.” his only defense disguised in a sharp edge to his voice. He shook his head.

He couldn’t do it.

“You found our saving grace.” she retorted.

“I wouldn’t have mentioned her brother if it meant this!”

“Oh, please. You can no longer act surprised. Not anymore, Daniel.” Ms. Snow’s reply laced with a faint accent of reproach. He winced in response to her dismissive tone. So much of their history linked to such dismissiveness.

“... It seems as if they’ve recently reconnected. I can tell she doesn’t know a damn thing about the newest edition to her family.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Apparently, little Wally helped to deal drugs a couple of years ago.”

“Are you fucking serious?”

“I’ve got solid contacts in Keystone. He definitely was a part of their scene before some personal tragedies caused him to move out here… Can’t find any official criminal records. Sending what I do have to you now.” Snow assured.

“That’s, wow…”

“You see, he’s just like us. Two flawed people in this fucked up world.”

“This thing, you and I working together, was supposed to end long ago. Remember our deal? I want my life back.”

“And that’s a tall order to ask for, even from you,” she paused momentarily as he rubbed his forehead. “Co-conspirators of rape and drug crimes don’t regain their normal lives.”

“Then what does that make you, huh?!” his voice climbed in anger.

“You want to end this partnership right now? Authorities will be at your doorstep by daybreak. I shouldn’t have to explain the dreary consequences of that.”

A long resistance drifted between the two enemies.

“I’ve tried to rationalize your decisions for the past six months. Believe me, I have. I still can’t arrive at a plausible conclusion which makes this worth it.” Daniel said, refusing to accept his all encompassing defeated spirit. He replayed their interactions in his head. Nevertheless, Daniel battled with the notion that perhaps he never had much of a say when it came to his life.

“I guess my life ended the night I met you, huh?”

“Not quite. Your life was over when you chose to help your friend.”

* * *

 

As expected, Big Belly Burger gradually grew busier. Bouts of conversation danced up and down with intermissions of stillness. Joe, Linda, and Cisco still occupied their small table within the burger joint nest.

“Alright, Anne Coleman works as a female Insider Threat Investigations Analyst. Caitlin Snow works as a trace evidence expert over at the Justice Department and recently retired as a Forensic Nurse for Central Hospital. And then there is, Nadia Waterbury. Bit of a stretch because she is a Criminal Intelligence Analyst.” Joe explained awhile after taking Cisco’s laptop.

“What are the likelihoods of Barry crossing paths with either one of them?” Linda repeated the motion of flattening and crumpling the greasy wax paper with her fingers. Its texture even more wimp and pliable.

“Well, Iris claimed she didn’t sound old. I’m not sure how much stock we can set into her observation. Besides, a CIA visiting our branch would already be under close watch as it is.” Joe noted.

“So you’re saying Ulerlee is basically ruled out? How old are the other women?” She asked, protected under the murmur of guests roaming around their table. Decorated brick walls cloaked them away from outside threats. It was a deceiving sense of protection, but protection nonetheless.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have personal access. Not here anyway. Coleman must be at least 30 though. Snow is pretty popular with state attorneys.”

“Hold on, what about Waterbury?” Cisco focused his gaze on Joe, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.

“He explained this already.” Linda pointed out, her face in his peripheral.

“I don’t think I was asking you, _Linda._ ” Cisco’s gentle sarcasm ruffled his apparent anger. He wanted to explode. If only he’d paid any attention to Barry during this trip instead of following Linda around like a lovesick puppy. Time and time again, his love life proved to be a dangerous distraction. _What love life, though? She is probably stringing me along like every girl who shows an ounce of attention to me._ Cisco sneered to himself.

She stared back at him, eyes wide.

“We _need_ to stay calm. To answer your question, it’s because Waterbury would receive a whole lot of attention due to the nature of her job. There is a slim chance she could’ve fooled higher ups when she is in such close vicinity.” Joe interjected between their tension.

“So our best guesses are between Coleman and Snow? Honestly, 30 is still pretty young in this field. Maybe it could explain her attraction to young adults as her primary customers? But…” she emphasized with a questioning raised brow, “Snow retired one job so, in theory, she would have more time on her hands.” Linda bit her lower lip, her gaze deep in thought and Cisco frowned. He could admit she still looked beautiful amidst all this chaos.

“For all we know right now, Snow is around the same age,” Joe replied.

“We need to move fast and smart. If we proceed after the wrong person, it most likely gets alerted to the right one instead.”

“All of my favorite TV shows and movies say it comes down to pinpointing motives. So I’m thinking we should also frame this in context of who has more to lose if their identity is revealed. Career of a newcomer or the one of an expert? The answer is pretty obvious?” Any reminiscence of Cisco’s usual cheerfulness and mischief disappeared as he spoke.

“That’s one way of viewing it. What about who is _more_ capable of having the knowledge to even execute this and get away with it?” Linda added, a glare in her eyes.

“Yeah, because criminals are always honest about their capabilities.”

“Enough! Both answers seem to point towards Snow.” Joe cleared his throat, preventing Linda from lashing out at Cisco.

“I agree. Snow technically has a more flexible schedule And more more experience. She fits the profile better.” Linda said when Cisco remained silent.

“I’m siding with Linda on this one. Time is running out. I’m headed back to the precinct to double check history logs for today, ask around, and get the ball rolling.”

“How else can we help?” she asked.

“I don’t want you two alone at your apartment, Linda. I need you both to stay back at my place where it’s safe. Wally will meet you there. Wait for my direction for when to come back to CCPD. It’s best to stick together.” Joe advised.

“What do we do if something happens?’ Cisco panicked, his tone uncertain. Linda grapsed a hold of Cisco’s hand in reassurance. Her insides warmed when he didn’t let go of her hand.

“No more worrying. Whatever happens from here on out is on my shoulders, OK?” Joe provided them a warm, yet stern smile.

* * *

 

Her confidence boosted as she closed the taxi door. The finality of its sound inexplicably reassuring. Iris tried to appear in control with the taxi driver moments before. Now, she was left to her own crippling devices. The cool shut down of the beating engine from the yellow taxi cab oddly solidifying. _Oh, gosh. This is really happening._ Gravel beneath her shoes caused her already anxious steps to land in an awkward manner. She neared a small, one-story house. Several newspapers were strewn across the front lawn.

Next thing she knew, Daniel’s front door stood parallel to her. _Should I ring the doorbell or knock? Maybe kick the door down? Or maybe just shoot my gun at the door until it opens?_ The latter would help to release some of her contained rage.

Her phone vibrated from her back pocket as she debated her next course of action concerning the front door. She read the caller ID before picking up. Her phone was horrendously beginning to give the impression of a time-ticking bomb. She took a few steps away before answering.  

“Dad?” she blew out.

“Thank God you picked up. Wally isn’t answering his phone.” his heavy voice spoke back to her.

“Don’t worry. He called me a couple of hours ago.”

 “What did he say?”

 “He spotted one of my coworkers, Daniel, literally admitting over the phone to helping with Barr’s kidnapping. I told Wally to stay away from him.” she surmised, her words coming out quick. How drastically had her life changed in the past 24 hours?   

“Doesn’t make me feel much better. The boy doesn’t listen.” Joe replied.

“Here, I can pinpoint his exact location on my phone.” Pressure lifted off her small frame with being able to provide any help.

“You can?”

“Yeah, I gave him a phone because he didn’t have one when we first met. And before you ask, Barry’s phone is shut off.” she explained staring at her screen while waiting for Wally’s pinned location.

“Any updates on The Woman?” her voice lifted. She needed to receive some good news for once today.  

“I believe her name is Caitlin Snow, she works as a Trace Evidence Expert. I’ve checked updated history log visits for today. She visited and also met with Barry on a last minute call.”

Barry’s earlier text about having to stay late for work popped back within her memory.

_How fucking stupid am I?!_

Iris internally yelled at herself. She zapped away from her inner monologue when her phone vibrated. Her skin heated up at the result displayed on her phone screen. His phone approximately three meters away. Hairs on her skin raised in response to the faint location alarm going off. The alarm came from the other side of Daniel’s front door. Her throat dried. _He’s inside…_ Before she could second guess herself, Iris clasped the door knob. It came as a huge relief when the door actually opened. Door ajar, she clutched the cool metal of her gun kept inside the confines of her bag.

“Iris..?’ Joe asked as she stepped inside. She almost tripped over something. Peeking down, her eyes doubled in size at Wally’s combat boots. Joe struggled to decipher the noise beyond her searching and shuffling. She followed the alarm where it lead her eyes to land on the coffee table. Her stomach dropped when no one appeared to be in sight. She picked up the phone in order to turn off the alarm. In doing so, Iris found a note folded underneath.

_I know my life is over. You have the chance to save him and protect his own dark secrets.  He is not entirely the little brother you once believed he was. Get to this address as soon as possible and he might make it out alive. Either way, at least I tried._

1754 Westchester Place

P.S. * 4963

“Wally is in trouble.” she deadpanned, a quick flame leaped in her eyes.

“What, how?!” he yelled.

“I’m inside Daniel’s house and the location pin says Wally is here too. At least his phone is. Oh my god, and his shoes are still here! But Daniel left a note with an address attached to where I can find him.”

“I’m coming in. Where is he?”

She read off the address to Joe.

“I’m having the team head over to both addresses. Stay out of the way and leave his house now!”

The line went dead before she ran back towards the front door.

_Dad is probably at the precinct. I can make it there faster._

* * *

 

“Can you believe the day is almost over with?” Ms. Snow inquired, releasing a dramatic exhale as she occupied her seat at her desk once more. He’d been left alone when she excused herself earlier. Barry’s eyebrows raised when the walls rattled to the garage doors opening and closing moments after she left. His heart fluttered with a now painful hope when he had erroneously believed Iris arrived to save him. Now with Ms. Snow back inside, they were alone again as she typed. He re-focused his attention to chewing the last bits of graham crackers in his lap. His jaw sore.

“You’re sick.” his words produced as one long slur with food still in his mouth.

“If things continue like this, you’ll be out of here sooner than you think.”

Before Barry could speculate what she meant, a yelp came from outside the closed door.

“HELP!” an unrevealed voice yelped, deep in agony. An agony Barry could not even vocalize for himself.

“What’s going on?! Who is that?” Barry demanded through a staccato cough as it interrupted his flow of speech. His thrust against the metal cuffs maddeningly torturous.

* * *

 

Iris practically sprinted after jumping out the taxi. Any bystander could deduce her urgency as a stark disparity to the serene and quiet, suburban neighborhood. She made a beeline towards the garage. With her ear now against the garage door, she could hear a beating car. Her shaky fingers punched in the code. Each push against the numeric pad acted as a saving grace. The wide door began its ascent and her heart fluttered as she covered her nose with the inside of her elbow.

“Wally?!” She released a wicked cough.

He remained unresponsive as the car roared behind them. Iris couldn’t tell how long he’d been trapped inside the garage. Her own sweaty palms failed to yank open the locked car doors. She grabbed her gun and aimed for the driver seat window. After a few shots, her reflection crumbled before her eyes. She leaned in and switched the dangling keys before throwing them to the passenger seat. _Now what?!_ She neared his body with heedful steps. Iris retracted many times before she could get herself to touch him. Her nose stung in fear from the possible deadly confirmation at her feet. _Do it!_

She forced herself to locate any possible heartbeats. At last her own thudded once a faint pulse from his neck hit the inside of her thumb.  

Iris grabbed Wally’s wrists and dragged his heavy, unconscious body out towards the front lawn. Grass met her knees in a desperate drop. She leaned her upper body weight towards her outstretched arms in a tight, rigid lock. The heels of her palms pushed in rhythm over the center of his chest.

_Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'_

_And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive_

_Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive_

_Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive_  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic. Please don't hesitate to give any reviews or comments. I hope you like! ***This will be rated mature as the story progresses.***


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